Azamara Cruises’ fleets will meet for the first time on 8th October 2020 in Koper, Slovenia, where the cruise line will host a grand AzAmazing Evening in port for all guests on all three ships, and then sail together to Venice.

Carnival Australia announced on 6th June that a new international cruise terminal will be operating in Brisbane within two years after the Port of Brisbane and Carnival Australia reached a commercial agreement. The Brisbane International Cruise Terminal at Luggage Point will be operating by mid-2020 and is expected to generate almost $5 billion in economic value for the Queensland economy alone within 15 years. The same day it was announced that the 85,920gt/2001 built Carnival Spirit will sail year-round from Brisbane in 2020.

Carnival Cruise Line named its newest ship, the 133,596gt/2018 built Carnival Horizon and second vessel in the Vista-Class series, in a ceremony held in New York on 23rd May (above). The newbuild is 323.6m long with a beam of 37.2m and can accommodate more than 6,400 passengers and crew.

Costa Cruises announced on 25th May that its next new ship, a sister to the 135,500gt Costa Venezia, has commenced construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard. The 2,116 cabin ship is due for delivery in 2020 and, like her sister ship, will be designed specifically for the Chinese market. Between 2019 and 2021, four new ships will enter service for Costa, with an overall increase in capacity of 43%.

Elite Cruises could be about to become a new player in the Chinese market with ambitions to start a service from Qingdao, China, by the end of this year. The Singapore-registered company has signed a co-operation deal with Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Company, a subsidiary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, with a view to employing locally-built luxury and expedition ships.

The company has reportedly identified a second-hand cruise ship to acquire with the aim of entering the Chinese domestic market. Two-year-old Elite is said to have some $80 million of financing in place.

Marella Cruises launched their newest addition to the cruise fleet, the 76,998gt/1996 built and 1,924 passenger capacity Marella Explorer, in Palma, Majorca, on 17th May (above). The former Mein Schiff 1 underwent a four-week refurbishment in Cadiz, Spain.

MSC Cruises’ MSC Seaview (above) was delayed by Fincantieri by one week and delivered on 4th June instead of late May. The christening ceremony therefore took place in Genoa on 9th June with the maiden cruise departing the next day, meaning the inaugural cruise was cancelled.

Pullmantur has invested over $10 million in the 21-day dry-docking and refurbishing the 73,937gt/1991 built and 2,390-passenger capacity Monarch (above). The work was carried out at Freeport Shipyard in the Bahamas that included refitting staterooms and public areas, including carpets, upholstery and furnishings, as well as bars and restaurants, in addition to the pool, jacuzzi and shopping areas.

Seabourn christened its newest vessel; the 41,865gt/2018 built Seabourn Ovation, during a ceremony in Valletta, Malta on 11th May (above). A line-up of celebratory events included a live performance by the ship’s godmother, actress and singer Elaine Paige OBE. The ship departed on her maiden voyage on 5th May, an 11 day Inaugural Mediterranean cruise.