P&O's Pacific Explorer became the first cruise ship to return to Australia in more than two years. Sailing through Sydney Heads at about 9.30am before gliding into Circular Quay mid-morning with an escort of official vessels and Sydney ‘boaties’.
Celestyal Cruises announced the start of the 2022 cruise season on April 18, aboard the Celestyal Crystal. The ship will set sail from the port of Lavrion on a 4 Night Iconic Aegean cruise to Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Iraklion, and Santorini The cruise line specializes in the Mediterranean region offering travelers an opportunity to immerse in the authentic spirit of Greece, with shorter trips.
Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas set sail on April 15, after the last two years sitting idle because of the pandemic. It is the first time in 10 years that the former biggest cruise ship in the world set sails to Europe after sailing regularly in Asia and the Pacific.
With successful Phase I of the reopening for cruise ship visitors, the Cayman Islands will be moving to Phase II in the coming week. This phase means the restrictions on the number of cruise ships docking each day will be removed.
Police at the French port of Marseille arrested two passengers aboard the MSC Seaside cruise ship who were reportedly carrying 12 kilos of cocaine in their luggage. This is a second drug bust on the MSC Seaside during the transatlantic voyage from Brazil, following the arrest of 10 cruise passengers in Valencia for smuggling 54 kilos of cocaine.
The cruise ship MV Hamburg arrived at the port of Riga, Latvia on April 12, marking the start of the cruise season. MV Hamburg with a capacity of 420 passengers and 170 crew members, is a cruise liner owned by the Conti Group and is now operated by Plantours Kreuzfahrten.
Margaritaville at Sea, the rebrand of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, was supposed to start its three-day, two-night trips to Grand Bahama Island from Palm Beach, Florida on April 30. But the operator canceled its first seven trips on the 658-cabin Margaritaville At Sea Paradise and moved the official launch to mid-May.
Celebrity Cruises and lifestyle brand goop are setting a cruise this fall on an elite wellness retreat at sea on board the exceedingly anticipated new-luxury ship, Celebrity Beyond.
Oceania Cruises has announced subtle elements in the upcoming redesign of its Riviera and Marina ships with 1,210 guests. Debuting in December 2022 and November 2023, individually, Riviera and Marina will become what the line calls "better than new". Every surface of every stateroom and suite will be unused, while in the open spaces, the revived color palette will include modern textures, furniture and lighting fixtures.
As uncertainty remains regarding travel in the region, Celebrity Cruises has made a decision to cancel the entire Asia season 2022-2023 of the Celebrity Solstice. The season was supposed to last from September 2022 to April 2023 with 19 cruises affected. The cruise ship was scheduled to arrive in Japan in September to cruise from Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
