Five Cruise Ships Add Dining and Deck Upgrades in May Drydocks

May’s cruise-ship drydock calendar sent five vessels from Virgin Voyages, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Adora Cruises and Disney Cruise Line through yard periods in Italy, the Bahamas, France, China and Canada ahead of summer deployment programs. The work included class inspections and technical maintenance, but several projects also produced guest-facing changes, including an Indian dining concept on Valiant Lady, Vibe Beach Club on Norwegian Gem and Carnival’s new “From Sea to Shining Sea” bow crest on Carnival Legend.

Norwegian Gem resumed service on May 11, Disney Magic concluded its drydock on May 16, Carnival Legend returned on May 20 and Valiant Lady resumed on May 25, while Adora Mediterranea’s Zhoushan visit was scheduled through May 21 before China-based sailings.

Guest-facing additions on Valiant Lady, Norwegian Gem and Carnival Legend

Valiant Lady completed its first drydock at Fincantieri’s Palermo yard after crossing the Atlantic in April. The 912-foot, 110,000-gross-ton Virgin Voyages ship was built by Fincantieri in Genoa and carries roughly 2,770 passengers.

The most specific new addition disclosed for Valiant Lady was Ariya, an Indian restaurant developed with Indie Culinaire and chef and cookbook author Maneet Chauhan. The venue takes over Razzle Dazzle each evening. It includes a dedicated bar program with chai service. Virgin also indicated that other minor public-area updates were part of the drydock, but it did not provide a full list of those changes.

Valiant Lady returned to service with Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona and Civitavecchia before a planned move to Northern Europe from Portsmouth later in the summer. The program includes a 15-night Iceland and British Isles cruise departing Aug. 5, scheduled to give guests a solar eclipse viewing opportunity at sea.

Carnival Legend’s 16-day Grand Bahama Shipyard drydock combined scheduled maintenance, upkeep and class inspections with the first installation of Carnival’s new bow crest. Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said, “Carnival is proud to be America’s Cruise Line,” adding that the design “reflects the reach of our brand across the U.S.”

The crest will be added to Carnival ships sailing from U.S. ports during scheduled drydocks and new builds. Carnival Jubilee and the 2028 Carnival Tropicale are exceptions, with Texas star bow designs tied to their Galveston deployment. Carnival Magic was alongside Carnival Legend in Freeport and was named as the next ship in the crest rollout, with a scheduled May 26 return to PortMiami before resuming Bahamas and Caribbean service.

Norwegian Gem used its Chantier Naval de Marseille drydock for technical maintenance, class work and the addition of Vibe Beach Club. The 2007-built, Meyer Werft vessel is the fourth and final ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Jewel class, and the work followed similar updates on Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Jewel in late 2025. Norwegian Jade also returned from drydock in May after adding Vibe Beach Club in Victoria, Canada.

Adora and Disney prepare for regional seasons

Disney Magic underwent a routine drydock at Seaspan Victoria in British Columbia after completing its winter Caribbean season. The 1998 Fincantieri-built ship, with capacity for about 1,750 passengers at double occupancy, was prepared for a series of seven-night Alaska cruises beginning May 21.

Adora Mediterranea entered COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry in Zhoushan for a broader package of interior, hull and machinery work. The former Costa Mediterranea, built in 2003 and later transferred to Adora Cruises, is an 85,619-gross-ton ship about 293 meters long.

Peak Ocean oversaw interior refurbishment work covering more than 1,650 square meters of core public areas, including the main galley, the Deck 9 Lido buffet restaurant and the spa. Additional work included propulsion and machinery overhauls, structural repairs and a full hull repaint using silicone paint. COSCO Zhoushan counted the project as its 12th cruise-ship drydock since entering the cruise drydock market in 2017.

After the yard period, Adora Mediterranea was scheduled for a themed Qingdao sailing calling at Busan and Jeju Island before shifting to Tianjin. Its main summer program is scheduled to begin June 7, with 25 international voyages planned through Oct. 11.