Phoenix Reisen updated plans for the service return of the Amera. Facing a significant delay of its drydock updates in Poland, the 1988-built vessel is now set to welcome guests back in late February.
As a result, the company also made significant changes to the itinerary of its current world cruise, which is partly taking place onboard the Celestyal Journey.
Chartered from Celestyal Cruises on short notice, the 1,258-guest vessel took over the 143-night global voyage after the refit delay.
Initially, only the first leg of the cruise – that departed from Italy in late December – would be offered by the Journey.
After sailing to South Africa via the Atlantic, the global itinerary included visits to different destinations in the Indian Ocean, including the Seychelles – where, according to Phoenix Reisen’s latest plans, the ship swap was set to take place in early February.
From there, the Amera would continue the original cruise itinerary as planned, sailing to destinations in Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, and Oceania.
With the ship still at a shipyard in Poland, the change had to be postponed and is now set to take place in the Canary Islands on Feb. 23.
While efforts have been made to extend its current charter, the Celestyal Journey has to be handed over to Celestyal Cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean in late February, Phoenix Reisen explained in a letter sent to guests onboard.
Since both ships cannot transit the Suez Canal due to the current situation in the Red Sea, the company decided to change the itinerary for the remainder of the world cruise, adding that a change of ship in Seychelles or anywhere eastward is “unfortunately not possible” given the current scenario.
As a result, passengers will now transfer to the Amera in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a revised itinerary that includes visits to destinations in South America and the Atlantic.
The cruise will then resume its original itinerary in Peru in April 2024 before ending in Germany a few weeks later.
Affected guests are being offered different options, including cancelling their current reservations and returning home with partial refunds.
Passengers who decide to stay onboard for the revised itinerary will also receive partial refunds, Phoenix Reisen said.
