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USACruise news has been plentiful in recent days from a slew of major ocean and river cruise lines. Here’s what you need to know.
Cruise news has been plentiful in recent days from a slew of major ocean and river cruise lines. Here’s what you need to know.
Virgin Voyages is partnering with a leading brand in the poker industry, the World Poker Tour (WPT).
Together they will deliver a world-class poker experience during every sailing aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, which offers four and five-night cruises departing from the brand’s homeport in Miami.
As an industry first, Virgin Voyages has established a standing poker venue, the exclusive “WPT at Sea” Poker Room. Utilising eight custom poker tables and staffed with professional dealers in an incredible space on the ship, the room offers beginner training, cash games, satellites and WPT Prize Package tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $80 (£64) to $320 (£258).
The $320 buy-in “WPT at Sea” main event will be held during each sailing. Based on the number of participants, the marquee event may award a WPT prize package (valued at $5,000 (£4,032)), which may be used on any future voyage or WPT event.
With another first, the WPT at Sea Poker Room has established a seamless experience, with cashless participation, allowing all transactions to be easily handled on Sailors’ wearable devices.
Marella Cruises has announced two Godmothers for its latest ship launching in June, Marella Voyager. Both Godmothers have long legacies within TUI, with more than 40 years of combined experience in the cruise industry in various roles across the globe.
First is Tatyana (Tatty), who is from Ukraine and joined Marella Cruises in 2003 as a receptionist and became Chief Purser in 2017. Tatty is now celebrating her twentieth year with Marella and works alongside her daughter Alina.
The second Godmother is Jacqui Nobile who first started working for TUI in 1994 as an Overseas Representative in Menorca, and since moving into cruising in 1996 has worked a number of roles to become part of the cruise senior leadership with responsibility for Marella’s shoreside experience program.
Marella Voyager’s winter 2023 programme is available now, with the Paradise Islands itinerary first setting sail in November 2023 from Barbados, where guests can enjoy the delights of the Caribbean Sea, exploring; Barbados, Tortola, St Maarten, St Kitts, Antigua, and Dominica.
P&O Cruises has unveiled its new summer 2025 collection including Britannia’s 10-year anniversary British Isles cruise and new Mediterranean ports of call on Arvia and Arcadia plus a range of introductory offers.
The line revealed USA and Canada holidays on Aurora, guests will call to new port Rockland (Maine), famous for its lobster and windjammer boats while on selected 14-night Mediterranean fly-cruise holidays on board Azura, guests will be able to enjoy two full days in Valletta to spend more time experiencing Malta’s diverse mix of culture, history and beaches.
Holidays booked by June 5, 2023, and departing between March and October 2025 will include:
AE Expeditions has launched its 2024-2025 Antarctic programme packed with 25 voyages from nine to 23 days duration, visiting the Antarctic Peninsula, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and, new this season, the Chilean Fjords.
Also new is the In Shackleton’s Footsteps itinerary, a 20-day epic adventure that retraces the historic voyage of the Endurance, venturing into the Weddell Sea and then onto Elephant Island, the desolate outpost where Shackleton and his men finally made landfall after 497 days at sea.
The voyage continues across the Scotia Sea to South Georgia, where Shackleton’s voyage reached its climactic conclusion. It departs from Ushuaia, Argentina on March 16, 2025.
Crystal has announced today its highly anticipated 2024 World Cruise aboard the newly renovated and spacious Crystal Serenity is available to book.
Sailing from San Diego or Miami for 125 nights, the journey will visit 29 countries and 62 destinations stopping at some of the most breathtaking places and iconic landscapes. Guests can choose to add on a Panama Canal segment which would extend the overall cruise to 141 nights.
An unparalleled voyage of discovery, the cruise travels around the world, providing guests with the opportunity to visit island paradises, famous coastal cities and ancient landmarks in destinations such as Colombia, French Polynesia, Australia and New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Egypt, Jordan, Italy and the French Riviera.
Guests booking the world cruise will receive benefits including an ‘As You Wish’ shipboard credit of $1,500 (£1,209) per person, double occupancy and an air credit of $1,000 (£806) per person. Crystal Society members will receive additional savings for a limited time. The cruise will also include a welcome celebration reception, gala dinners and specially themed onboard and shoreside events.
River cruise line AmaWaterways has announced the extension of its popular Fly for Free offer on over 200 cruises in 2023 while adding 300 sailings in 2024.
The ‘Fly for Free’ offer includes departures from London Heathrow and London Gatwick, with regional supplements from just £75 per person. Complimentary transfers are also included.
The offer is valid for bookings made by June 30, 2023.
Oceania Cruises has expanded its free land programmes for select 2023 and 2024 itineraries.
At no extra cost on select 2023 sailings, and now extended into 2024 voyages, the Free Land Programmes are available on 24 featured sailings reaching Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and beyond.
Travellers who book by June 30, 2023, may lengthen their voyage to include immersive Pre- and Post-Cruise Land Programmes with award-winning itineraries featuring more than 600 alluring destinations.
Valued at up to $5,000 (£4,030) per stateroom, these Land Programmes explore coveted places such as the Cape Winelands, Taj Mahal, Jerusalem’s Old City and more.
In further Oceania cruise news, the line has announced a new partnership with Chapter 7 Whisky marking their 20th Anniversary and the launch of new ship Vista.
Just 304 bottles of the whisky will be drawn and will be available for purchase by guests sailing on board Vista during her inaugural season this summer.
The 1,200-guest ship caters to inquisitive travellers, food and wine connoisseurs and affluent individuals.
Avalon Waterways has revealed a new Storyteller Series cruise for 2024: Kiltn’ It: Facts, Fiction & Fairytale Settings on the Rhine with Graham McTavish
The eight-day, Active & Discovery on the Rhine departure – part of Avalon’s special Storyteller Series of cruises – will transport travellers through craggy cliffs and under storied medieval castles, along quaint, cobblestone villages and through the lofty landscapes of Switzerland, France, Germany and Holland on the Rhine River – a setting where every hour is story hour.
Graham McTavish – is not only known for his roles in “Outlander,” “The Witcher,” “House of the Dragon” and “Men in Kilts: A Road Trip with Sam and Graham,” but he is also the best-selling author of Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other.
Scenic Eclipse II set sail on its first-ever sailing from Lisbon last week. Among the impressive list of onboard features, the 551ft ultra-luxury vessel, owned by Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours, boasts 114 suites, up to ten dining experiences, an expansive 550-square-metre Senses Spa – and even has two helicopters for guest excursions.
Scenic Eclipse II will operate a debut summer season in the Mediterranean and will make her first visit to UK waters in September with a round-Scotland sailing. Prices for a Scenic Eclipse II voyage start from £5,590.
Seabourn marked a major construction milestone for its second purpose-built expedition vessel Seabourn Pursuit with a traditional coin ceremony at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genova, Italy last week.
The coin ceremony is a time-honoured maritime tradition in which a “madrina” places coins onto the ship as a symbol of good fortune on its voyages. In keeping with tradition, the role of “madrina” for Seabourn Pursuit was served by Lynn Narraway, Seabourn’s vice president of UK and Europe and one of the company’s longest-serving female executives, and saw Narraway welding a box containing four commemorative gold coins to the ship.
Seabourn Pursuit is currently in its outfitting dock and is undergoing final construction in the coming months ahead of its delivery at the end of July 2023.
Beginning August 12, 2023, Seabourn Pursuit will sail five voyages in the Mediterranean before embarking on two voyages across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean. On October 10, 2023, the ship will arrive in Barbados from where it will begin its expedition journeys, taking guests to remote corners of the globe.
Seabourn Pursuit will then head south for expeditions exploring coastal South America, the Amazon, and Antarctica into late March 2024.
