Elegant Ends First European Season Ahead of 2027 Return
An extensive refurbishment cut Elegant’s capacity from six hundred to two hundred sixteen guests; Grupo Vidanta acquired the 1990-built vessel in 2017.
VidantaWorld Voyages completed its first European cruise season on October 9, 2026, when Elegant finished its final sailing in Honfleur, France. The ship has no scheduled commercial cruises over the winter and is due back in commercial service in April 2027.
The inaugural season began in April 2026 after an extensive refurbishment reduced the vessel’s passenger capacity from 600 to 216. With fewer guests aboard, the ship is intended to offer a yacht-like onboard experience.
The final voyage was a one-way sailing from Santander, Spain, with calls at Bordeaux, Saint-Malo and Rouen. Across the season, Elegant’s itineraries covered the French Riviera, Spain’s coast, Portugal and the Azores, as well as the Greek islands, Adriatic and Italian destinations.
During the off-season, the vessel will stay in Europe in a “warm layup” on a river in northern France. VidantaWorld plans to use the winter for charters and special events. The company’s season-end announcement carried no comment from a named executive.
From Crown Monarch to Elegant
The 15,396-gross-ton Elegant was built in 1990 by Unión Naval de Levante in Valencia, Spain, and originally sailed as Crown Monarch. The refurbishment also changed interior spaces and the stern.
Grupo Vidanta, the Mexican hospitality and tourism company behind VidantaWorld Voyages, acquired the vessel in 2017 following the collapse of All Leisure Group. The ship had operated as Voyager before the acquisition and was initially announced under Vidanta as Vidanta Alegría before taking the Elegant name. It is currently the cruise venture’s only publicly identified vessel.
Mediterranean ports and an eclipse sailing in 2027
The 2027 season opens in the Mediterranean during the quieter early part of the year, a period VidantaWorld is promoting. Running through October, the program includes ports in Italy, Spain, France, Croatia and Montenegro, among other countries.
VidantaWorld says the ship’s size allows it to include yacht-oriented destinations such as Saint-Tropez, Monte Carlo and Cannes.
A seven-night Greek cruise in August will feature a total solar eclipse viewed from sea. According to VidantaWorld, the itinerary will place guests within the eclipse’s path of totality while Elegant sails between Kalamata and Chania.
