United Kingdom
USACruise news this week is brimming over with exciting new itineraries as well as a major new ship reveal, so strap in.
Cruise news this week is brimming over with exciting new itineraries as well as a major new ship reveal, so strap in.
P&O Cruises has unveiled three brand new itineraries being rolled out this year across its two newest ships, Arvia and Iona. These are as follows:
Duration: 13 nights
Where: Southampton | Lisbon | Malaga | Barcelona (overnight)| Seville (from Cadiz) | Southampton
Ship: Arvia
Price: From £849pp
Duration: 14 nights
Where: Southampton | Gran Canaria | Tortola | Basseterre (St Kitts) | Fort de France (Martinique) | Bridgetown (Barbados) | Flight to UK
Ship: Arvia
Price: From £999pp
Duration: Seven nights
Where: Southampton | Stavanger | Olden | Innvikfjorden (cruise-by) | Nordfjord (cruise-by) | Alesund | Haugesund | Southampton
Ship: Arvia
Price: From £499pp
In the latest cruise news for Royal Caribbean, the line has released the fifth instalment of its insight into the construction and planning behind upcoming new ship Icon of the Seas. The new episode is called “Making an Icon: Creating Surfside.”
The inside peek looks at Royal Caribbean’s first signature neighbourhood designed for young families. At Baby Bay and Splashaway Bay, kids can get drenched while grownups enjoy the best ocean views at Water’s Edge pool complete with in-water loungers and islands.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s signature carousel features eight new beach-themed characters chosen by kids for kids and more ways to play all day like at the arcade, and the climbable Playscape.
There are also new child-approved restaurants – Surfside Eatery (Royal Caribbean’s first dedicated family buffet), The Lemon Post (a bar for the whole family with two separate menus for kids and adults), Surfside Bites, a spot for quick bites between adventures; and Pier 7, a new speciality restaurant featuring all-day brunch.
Also debuting on Icon is the first ever three-story, adventure-filled Ultimate Family Townhouse, complete with direct access to Surfside from its private patio.
Oceania has the biggest revelation to make this week as it introduced its newest ship Allura which will sail in 2025.
The second Allura Class ship is the eighth vessel for the line and will be the sister ship to Vista, which sets sail in May 2023.
Measuring approximately 67,000 tons, Allura will accommodate 1,200 guests and be staffed by 800 officers and crew, offering industry-leading space and staff-to-guest ratios.
Allura highlights include a raft of inventive new dining experiences including Ember, an upscale signature restaurant serving reimagined American classics, and Aquamar Kitchen, both debuting on Vista in May, as well as the largest standard staterooms and a new Chef’s Studio.
Currently under construction in Italy, the all-veranda vessel will sail its maiden voyage in spring 2025.
Details of Allura’s inaugural season, which will feature an array of marquee and boutique destinations across Europe and the Americas, will be revealed this spring before going on sale in the summer.
Cunard has announced a world-first partnership with contemporary circus company Circa, culminating in a six-week residency onboard cruise ship Queen Elizabeth whilst the ship sails Australian and New Zealand waters next year.
Circa’s suite of new productions will be curated to suit Queen Elizabeth’s grand Royal Court Theatre, creating a bespoke experience, with acts performed for guests onboard the 2,069-passenger ship from February 1, 2024, to March 10, 2024.
The Aussie circus company has performed for over 1.5 million people across more than 40 countries and six continents. It’s at the forefront of the new wave of contemporary Australian circus, pioneering how extreme physicality can create powerful and moving performances and blurring the lines between movement, dance, theatre and circus.
Emerald Cruises has added an additional Douro itinerary at the end of this year, as well as an additional sailing, to meet demand for cruising in the region, in the latest cruise news from the river line.
The eight-day Seasonal Secrets of the Douro sailing will depart on December 2, 2023, offering guests the chance to enjoy some Portuguese winter sunshine on a round-trip sailing from Porto.
Emerald Radiance will head inland as far as Pinhão, at the heart of the Douro Valley and famed for its vineyards and local delicacies, before returning to the coastal hub.
As an additional benefit, Emerald Cruises is also offering guests the chance to extend their holiday, with the option of a three-day break in the capital Lisbon post-cruise. The add-on includes a centrally located hotel stay on a bed-and-breakfast basis, including all transfers and a guided city tour.
Seabourn announced its second purpose-built expedition vessel Seabourn Pursuit, which will enter service on August 12, 2023, will offer a series of seven new pre-inaugural sailings to the Mediterranean and Caribbean, including a transatlantic voyage.
The cruises will provide guests with the opportunity to experience ultra-luxury small-ship cruising in these destinations before the ship embarks on its expedition-focused voyages later in the year.
From mid-August, Seabourn Pursuit will sail on five new seven and eight-day voyages through the Mediterranean and the Italian and French Rivieras, featuring classic and iconic destinations and hidden harbours. Travellers have the opportunity to combine cruises to create voyages of 14 or 15 days at savings of up to 10 percent.
Following these Mediterranean voyages, the Seabourn ship will offer two voyages across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean. Then, on October 10, 2023, Seabourn Pursuit will arrive at Barbados, from where it will operate its previously scheduled expedition itineraries to South America, the Amazon and Antarctica.
Star Clippers’ latest cruise news is that it has partnered with Fred. Holidays Rail Journeys which has brought forward the launch of three new luxury 2024 Rail & Sail itineraries.
The holidays showcase the best of the golden age of rail and sail as demand for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express soars.
All three itineraries feature a journey on the iconic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and a cruise on the classic sailing ships of Star Clippers.
For instance, the itinerary ‘Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with Star Flyer Amalfi & Sicily Cruise ‘ is a ten-night luxury Rail & Sail break featuring an overnight journey on The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Paris to Venice, two nights in Rome and a seven-night cruise round-trip from Rome onboard Star Flyer.
Prices start from £6,789 pp for standard Premier Class Eurostar from London to Paris, overnight full board journey from Paris to Venice on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, first-class rail from Venice to Rome and the seven-night cruise with all meals.
Crystal Cruises has officially relaunched under a reimagined name and vision: Crystal – Exceptional at Sea. This new era for Crystal begins with an innovative website and branding under the guardianship of the A&K Travel Group.
Crystal has also announced its 2023 and 2024 voyages aboard the newly refurbished Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. Cruises will take travellers throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The two ships have been reimagined with larger updated suites that include artisanal finishes, cutting-edge onboard wellness, and world-class dining and entertainment. There over nine dining options onboard each ship, a leading spa, fitness facilities and large pool.
As for shore excursions, a seamless experience continues with Abercrombie & Kent’s ground arrangements.
The first sailings will be a Mediterranean cruise of Crystal Serenity on July 31 from Marseille and Crystal Symphony, scheduled to depart September 1 from Athens.
Viking has revealed it will be welcoming a new Viking Longship to its fleet in 2025, purpose-built for the Seine River.
The ship will sail an eight-day Paris and the Heart of Normandy itinerary, and join four other Viking Longships – the Viking Fjorgyn, the Viking Kari, the Viking Radgrid and the Viking Skaga, as their new sister ship.
The French itinerary celebrates history, art, food and customs in the country’s most dazzling urban and pastoral settings.
Guests will be able to explore Giverny and visit the beautiful gardens and charming farmhouse where Claude Monet lived and worked, trace the footsteps of Joan of Arc in Rouen and walk hallowed ground at Normandy’s American Military Cemetery.
Hosting 168 guests in 84 staterooms, the Viking Longships on the Seine River feature an Aquavit Terrace and a wide variety of stateroom choices, as well as Viking’s signature Scandinavian design aesthetic.
The vessels feature a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and are also equipped for shore power to reduce reliance on fuel while in port. Onboard solar panels further contribute to the ships’ energy efficiency.
