Cruise News Roundup
Well where do I begin? To start I apologize for my brief absence from posting on all channels but I am back and ready to cover all the current cruise news and boy is there a lot !
May Cruise News Roundup:
Harmony of the Seas
1.The Largest and most innovative ship ever built has finally began sailing. Harmony of the Seas is the largest cruise ship to ever set sail at almost 228,000 GRT, she is a cross between the perfect Oasis class ship and the perfect Quantum class ship. Harmony of the Seas is currently sailing out of Barcelona and will move to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale in the fall replacing the Oasis which will move to Port Canaveral.
Carnival Vista
2. Carnival Cruise Line’s latest ship debuted in the beginning of May and is receiving rave reviews. The Carnival Vista is roughly 130,000 GRT and is host to some of the most innovative features at sea. The Carnival Skyride is a bike ride in the sky with the most breathtaking panoramic views and is without a doubt the best new feature on a cruise ship.
MSC Cruises
3. MSC Cruises is creeping up on every cruise line and frankly, it's wonderful. MSC is building 11 new ships and opening 2 private islands in the coming years and if that doesn’t show their commitment to the North American Market I don’t know what does. MSC Cruises is pushing the limit of cruising starting with MSC Meraviglia set to debut next year then MSC Seaside in 2018, MSC will not stop until the North American Cruisers only choose them. To top it all off MSC is building multiple +200,000 GRT ships, so will the Oasis class continue to be the largest class of ships in the world? Keep your eye on MSC.
Empress of the Seas
4. Royal Caribbean has always been know to push the limits and always moving forward, so with the announcement about the Empress of the Seas coming back into the fleet after leaving a few years back I guess confusion is ok. The Empress of the Seas left the Royal Caribbean fleet in 2008 to sail for Royal Caribbean Cruises subsidiary, Pullmantur. Now after nearly eight years sailing for Pullmantur, Empress of the Seas is back to the Royal Caribbean Fleet and the reviews are not great. Many passengers are making it clear that Empress of the Seas should have spent more time in dry dock or have not come back to the fleet. Hopefully the Empress can live up to the Royal Caribbean name.