Reportage
Artania: Phoenix Reisen’s Grand Lady
Phoenix Reisen’s Artania is a ship that needs no introduction. She is not only the largest ship in the current Phoenix Reisen fleet and star of the German TV docu-soap Verrückt nach Meer (Crazy about the Sea), but has also gained fame ever since she entered service in 1984. Kai Ortel’s →→ Artania Review Built for Princess Cruises as the largest […] Read more
Costa Smeralda…to discover
We discover the new flagship of Costa Cruises, the Costa Smeralda, upon its arrival to Savona to begin a long series of cruises in the Mediterranean. A true ray of sunshine on a day with a severe weather alert for this region, this was how the Costa Smeralda appeared to me on Friday, December 20th. […] Read more
Gemini: cruising turkish style
The Gemini had been built in Spain in 1992 as the Crown Jewel for Crown Cruise Line, an American subsidiary of the Swedish-Finnish EffJohn Group. She started her career in the Caribbean before heading for Far Eastern waters in 1995 as the Superstar Gemini, sailing for Star Cruises. These cruises lasted for 14 years when […] Read more
On board Msc Grandiosa
The MSC Grandiosa is the first ship in the Meraviglia-Plus class, a version that is 16 meters longer than the prototype. The concept for the new flagship, that follows that of the two previous sister ships, was designed to amaze not only those who are already fond of the MSC Cruises brand, but also cruisers […] Read more
Msc Orchestra: Cruising Italian style
The 2007-built MSC Orchestra was the second ship in the four-strong MSC Musica class, constructed in France for Italian operator MSC Cruises between 2006 and 2010. In terms of size, these ships at 2,500 passengers range between the smaller MSC Lirica class (2,200 passengers) and the larger MSC Fantasia class (3,300 passengers). Kai Ortel→ […] Read more
Silver Spirit: let’s go on board
The Silver Spirit, a ship from 2008 and for a long period the flagship of Silversea Cruises, has recently undergone a refitting to elongate the ship for the addition of new suites as well as a renovation of many areas. Let’s discover the ship together step by step… The Silver Spirit is a very […] Read more
We present you the Norwegian Encore
The Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Cruise Line’s 17th ship, was recently delivered to the company. Grandeur and elegance, entertainment and quality of service. This is what we noted on board and what we will describe in detail. Let’s talk about… Norwegian Encore! Norwegian Encore, by the numbers The international cruise market is moving toward the […] Read more
Msc Meraviglia: Flagship feeling in the Mediterranean
Until the delivery of the MSC Grandiosa at the end of this year (2019), the 2017-built MSC Meraviglia along with her somewhat younger sister ship MSC Bellissima is the flagship of the MSC Cruises fleet. → Msc Meraviglia Review by Kai Ortel In fact, she is so huge and full of onboard facilities and, like […] Read more
Discovering the new Sky Princess
The Sky Princess is the fourth ship in the Princess Cruises’ Royal class. Built in the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, it differs from the prototype of its series because of several modifications, both structural and internal, specifically requested by the company. First of all, the ship is equipped with an additional half deck on […] Read more
Zenith: spanish charm and celebrity heritage
The Zenith full Reportage by Kai Ortel. Don’t miss also the → Zenith Review. The Zenith was built in 1992 as the sister ship of the Horizon (1990), both vessels were the first newbuildings conceived by Celebrity Cruises which had just been founded in 1988. In 2007, the Zenith was sold to the Spanish cruise […] Read more