Norwegian Escape Sets Sail for Europe Ahead of Drydock

Norwegian Escape Sets Sail for Europe Ahead of Drydock

Norwegian Bliss Photo Credit Spacejunkie2 

The Norwegian Escape paused its regular operations in North America in late September to embark on a repositioning voyage to Europe.

Scheduled to undergo a routine drydock in mid-October, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship is currently offering a 16-night trans-Atlantic crossing.

Sailing from New York City, the original cruise itinerary included visits to nine destinations across Canada, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Spain.

A planned visit to Sydney, however, had to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in North America.

As a result, the Norwegian Escape visited Halifax before heading to the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic.

The vessel is scheduled to visit Ponta Delgada in early October before continuing to Gibraltar, Melilla, Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca.

The trans-Atlantic crossing will conclude in Barcelona, from where the 2015-built ship is expected to sail to a European shipyard with no guests onboard.

Before embarking on a repositioning voyage back to North America, the Escape will spend 16 days out of service undergoing maintenance and updates.

The vessel is then scheduled to offer a new trans-Atlantic crossing in late October, sailing from Barcelona to Port Canaveral.

The 16-night cruise will visit destinations in Spain, France, and Morocco, including Marseille, Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena, Motril, Cádiz, Tangier, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

In mid-November, the Norwegian Escape arrives in Port Canaveral to kick off a winter season of Caribbean sailings from Central Florida.

The deployment features a series of seven-night cruises to the Eastern Caribbean, visiting St. Thomas, the Dominican Republic, the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.

In addition to Puerto Plata, Tortola and Charlotte Amalie, the weeklong cruises sail to Norwegian’s private island destination of Great Stirrup Cay.

Scheduled to reposition to Galveston in 2027-28, the vessel will continue to sail from Port Canaveral through November 2027.

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony Embarks on Trans-Atlantic Crossing

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony Embarks on Trans-Atlantic Crossing

The Harmony of the Seas is currently returning to North America, having started a trans-Atlantic crossing to Port Canaveral in late July.

Sailing from Barcelona, the 13-night cruise is highlighted by visits to destinations in Spain, such as Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena, Málaga and Cádiz.

The repositioning voyage also includes eight days of cruising in the Atlantic before arriving at the ship’s homeport in Central Florida on August 8, 2026.

As part of its new year-round deployment in Port Canaveral, the Oasis-class ship will kick off a series of four- to seven-night itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

For its first sailing in the region, the Harmony of the Seas offers a four-night cruise to the Bahamas that features visits to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The vessel’s schedule is also highlighted by short cruises to the Western Caribbean, in addition to longer itineraries to the Eastern Caribbean.

Other ports of call set to be visited by the 2016-built ship include Cozumel in Mexico, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.

Before starting its repositioning voyage to North America, the vessel spent the past few months offering summer cruises in the Western Mediterranean.

Sailing from Barcelona and Rome, the itineraries were part of Royal Caribbean’s summer season in Europe and included visits to destinations in France, Spain and Italy.

The Harmony of the Seas also underwent a modernization project while in Europe, introducing new features as part of the Royal Amplified initiative.

Among the new features that debuted onboard the 5,558-passenger ship are a Caribbean-inspired pool deck and Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade.

Royal Caribbean also added nearly 100 staterooms to the vessel, replacing technical areas and public rooms with additional accommodation space.

Norwegian Sky Repositions to Europe for Farewell Season

Norwegian Sky Repositions to Europe for Farewell Season

The Norwegian Sky recently kicked off a repositioning voyage ahead of its farewell season for Norwegian Cruise Line.

Having completed its winter season in the Southern Caribbean, the 1999-built vessel departed from the Dominican Republic on April 6, 2026.

The 13-night trans-Atlantic crossing sails to Le Havre and includes visits to destinations in the British Virgin Islands, Portugal, Spain and France.

Ports of call set to welcome the Norwegian Sky include Tortola, Ponta Delgada, Lisbon, Vigo and La Coruña.

Once in France, the 2,000-passenger ship offers seven-night cruises to Northern and Western Europe between April and May.

Sailing between Le Havre and Copenhagen, the itineraries feature visits to ports in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and more.

In mid-May, the Norwegian Sky sails to the British Isles with a series of ten- and 11-night cruises departing from Southampton.

The itineraries will be offered through late August, when the ship repositions to the Mediterranean for a short season.

In addition to a repositioning voyage, the deployment includes a nine-night cruise between Barcelona and Piraeus in late August.

Sailing to destinations in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, the itinerary is highlighted by visits to ports in France, Italy and Greece, such as Villefranche, Salerno and Santorini.

In early September, the Norwegian Sky is set to offer a final cruise before being handed over to Cordelia Cruises.

The 21-night cruise sails from Piraeus to Dubai and features a transit of the Suez Canal, in addition to visits to a range of destinations in the Middle East and the Red Sea.

As part of a deal announced in April 2025, the ship will be leased to Cordelia Cruises, launching cruises from Mumbai in September 2026.

In late 2027, the Norwegian Sun is also scheduled to join the fleet of the India-based cruise line, which currently operates the Empress.

Majestic Princess Kicks Off Repositioning Cruise to Boston

Majestic Princess Kicks Off Repositioning Cruise to Boston

The Majestic Princess recently sailed from Southampton to kick off a repositioning cruise to Canada and New England.

After sailing from the British port on July 18, the Princess Cruises vessel is now offering a 15-night voyage that will end in Boston.

The trans-Atlantic cruise features visits to destinations in Iceland and Canada, including Reykjavik, Isafjord and Grundarfjordur, as well as Charlottetown, Sydney and Halifax.

After arriving at its new homeport in North America, the Majestic Princess is set to kick off its first-ever fall foliage season in Canada and New England.

Sailing round-trip from Boston, the vessel offers seven-night cruises around the region that include visits to Portland, Halifax, Sydney, Eastport and Saint John.

In September, the Majestic Princess is also scheduled to offer open-jaw itineraries that sail between Quebec City and Boston.

Upon completing the deployment on the East Coast, the 141,000-ton ship is set to reposition to Fort Lauderdale for itineraries in the Caribbean.

Before arriving in Florida, the vessel offers a 14-night “Canada and Colonial America” itinerary that sails between Quebec City and Port Everglades.

The open-jaw itinerary includes visits to Saguenay, Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax, Boston, New York City, Newport and Norfolk.

As part of its 2025-26 winter season, the Royal-class ship offers six- to eight-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale to destinations in the Western, Southern and Eastern Caribbean.

Originally designed for service in China and Asia, the Majestic Princess was built at the Fincantieri shipyard in 2017.

Before kicking off its maiden season in the Mediterranean earlier this year, the 3,600-guest ship underwent a major refurbishment at a shipyard in Italy.

As part of the modernisation project, the vessel debuted new venues, reimagined spaces and refined touches, including the addition of O’Malley’s Irish Pub and Bellini’s Cocktail Bar.

The Majestic Princess also got new dining options, such as the Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar, Alfredo’s Slice and The Salty Dog Grill.

American Queen repositions due to Mississippi River flooding

By Michelle Baran

The American Queen Steamboat Co. (AQSC) is moving its 436-passenger paddle wheeler American Queen to the Ohio River for the remainder of July due to high water levels on the Upper Mississippi River.

Torrential downpours in recent weeks in the Midwest have resulted in flooding along stretches of the Mississippi River.

Consequently, the American Queen is moving to the Ohio River for its next three sailings, which will impact the originally scheduled July 9 sailing between Cincinnati and St. Louis and the July 15 and 23 sailings between St. Louis and St. Paul, Minn.

"Sometimes river conditions are outside our control," AQSC President and COO Ted Sykes said in a statement. "We recognize the need to cruise on the Ohio River for our July 2014 itineraries and will then return to our regularly scheduled itineraries."

The new itineraries will sail between Cincinnati and Paducah, Ky., calling on Cave-In-Rock, Ill.; Henderson, Ky.; Louisville, Ky.; Madison, Ind.; and Augusta, Ky. Guests on the July 9 voyage will travel by motorcoach from Paducah to St. Louis at the conclusion of the sailing and resume their return home as scheduled. The July 15 pre-cruise hotel stay in St. Louis remains, and guests will be transferred to Paducah to join the American Queen.

The July 23 voyage will now depart Cincinnati, replacing St. Paul, and details on that itinerary will be available shortly.

Guests booked on the July 9 or 15 itineraries have the option to stay on their deviated voyage and receive a $100 onboard credit, per person, and a $500 future cruise credit per stateroom. Guests preferring to book an Upper Mississippi River voyage in late 2014 may roll forward their booking with a one stateroom category upgrade (subject to availability), noted AQSC.

The Mississippi River continued to gradually rise on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, but overnight rainfall wasn't as severe as predicted. 

Quantum of the Seas headed to China after inaugural season

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will take the unprecedented step of putting its newest ship in China, following a 2015 winter season of cruising from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, N.J.

Starting in May 2015, Quantum of the Seas will be repositioned to Shanghai, where it will offer a series of three- to eight-day cruises to Korea and Japan.

“Every trend we are seeing in China tells us we can achieve real long-term competitive advantage and appealing returns on our investments in this fast-growing market by accelerating our presence there,” said RCCL President Adam Goldstein. “We will have to be nimble, but the ability to move fast is one of our strengths.”

Quantum will join Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas, increasing capacity in the region by 66%.

To fill the void left by Quantum’s departure from New Jersey, Royal Caribbean will move Liberty of the Seas to Cape Liberty for the 2015 summer schedule of sailings to Bermuda, the Caribbean and Canada/New England.

Quantum’s sister ship, Anthem of the Seas, will reposition to New Jersey after an inaugural summer season sailing from Southampton, England. It will begin cruises from Cape Liberty in November 2015.

Goldstein said that consumers in China have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and Quantum of the Seas meets that standard.

“We are ready to accelerate the growth of this vital market with a ship that will capture the imagination of travelers looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience,” he said.