Semester at Sea's World Odyssey Sets Off on Its Fall 2026 Global Voyage
The educational voyage ship World Odyssey departed IJmuiden, Netherlands on September 9 for a 105-night circumnavigation-style program calling at roughly 11 ports across Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia — including Casablanca, Salvador de Bahia, Cape Town, Port Louis, Colombo, and Ho Chi Minh City — before concluding in Bangkok on December 22. Students earn university credit while the ship makes extended five- to six-day port calls for deeper cultural immersion than a typical cruise itinerary.
Seabourn Adds a New 30-Day Amazon Voyage for 2028
Seabourn Quest will sail a new 30-day "Amazon Explorer" itinerary departing Miami on November 18, 2028 and returning December 18, visiting 15 destinations in seven countries, including an overnight in Manaus and scenic cruising deep into the Amazon River. The voyage is part of Seabourn's 40th-anniversary programming, and the same ship goes on to depart on a 138-day world cruise the following January.
Holland America Moves Up Oosterdam's "Evolution" Refit by Five Weeks
Strong demand for Holland America's Evolution refurbishment program has pushed Oosterdam's return to service forward to October 31, 2026, rather than early December. The earlier debut opens up five extra voyages, including Mediterranean sailings between Civitavecchia, Trieste, Piraeus, and Barcelona and a 13-day transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale in late November — itineraries of the kind long-voyage travelers often stitch together into extended trips.
MSC Poesia's Final 2026 Alaska Sailing Gets a Route Tweak
MSC Cruises removed the Endicott Arm scenic-cruising segment from MSC Poesia's September 21 sailing — the last Alaska departure of the season — citing seasonal operational requirements, and shifted the Juneau arrival six hours earlier to give passengers a longer day ashore. Affected guests receive $50 per person in onboard credit (up to $100 per cabin); the ship still calls at Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC.
Carnival Freedom Enters Drydock in France for Funnel Repair
Carnival Freedom arrived at a French shipyard for scheduled drydock work, including restoration of the ship's "whale tail" funnel fins following two prior funnel fires that had left the ship sailing with a modified funnel. The repair work is being tracked closely by cruise fans as a sign the ship is returning to its original profile ahead of the 2026 season.