While it’s not the most prolific year for new ship launches, the new builds in 2015 are highly anticipated. Over the next few years we’re looking forward to seeing several new and innovative ships, such as Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas later this year followed by Anthem of the Seas in March 2015 that continue to raise the bar on fun at sea with features like the bumper cars and skydiving simulator.
In May, a new oceangoing line, Viking Cruises, a sister brand of Viking River Cruises, will debut with the new 930-passenger Viking Star. She was designed by experienced nautical architects and designers to enrich guests interaction with the destination in every way. Passengers can expect such popular features from the river side as the indoor outdoor Aquavit Terrace. The ship will also have a classic ocean feature: a fully encircling Promenade Deck.
We’re also excited to see Norwegian Cruise Line get bigger in 2015 with their debut of Norwegian Escape. The 4,200-passenger ship will begin sailing seven-day eastern Caribbean cruises year-round from Miami, FL, on November 14, 2015. It will have many of the razzle-dazzle features of Norwegian’s Breakaway class vessels, plus will debut new spaces and interactive experiences yet to be announced. Port calls on the new Norwegian Escape itinerary include Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, the Bahamas.
Many more new ships are expected to launch in 2016. Next summer, Regent Seven Seas Cruises will welcome its first new ship in more than a decade, the Seven Seas Explorer. We are excited about the 738-passenger ship as it will offer guests even more elegant and modern amenities.
Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the 4,000-guest Carnival Vista will launch in spring 2016, while Royal Caribbean International will welcome its third Quantum-class vessel, as well as a third Oasis-class ship. In fall 2016, luxury operator Seabourn Cruise Line will launch a yet-unnamed ship designed for 604 guests.
New Itineraries
When 2015 dawns, Royal Caribbean International’s highly awaited Quantum of the Seas will be sailing winter itineraries from Bayonne, NJ, before it heads for Shanghai, China in the spring.
Expedition cruising continues to wow guests. During the new “Remote Cultures of the Coral” itinerary, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Discoverer will take guests up close to lagoons, coral reefs and forests. Eco-sights include waterfalls, geysers and unusual flora and fauna, including flying foxes and perhaps the elusive bird of paradise. Scuba divers and snorkelers can view World War II shipwrecks, and all guests will immerse themselves in South Pacific crafts and customs. Departing February 21 from Honiara in the Solomon Islands, the Silversea voyage includes calls at Marovo Lagoon, Vangunu Island; Kennedy Island, Solomon Islands; Rabaul, Papua New Guinea (two days); Tatau Island, Papua New Guinea; Koror, Palau; and many spots in Micronesia.
Another new exotic option is Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 24-night “Lands of Wonder” voyage in 2015 from Lisbon, Portugal to Cape Town, South Africa. Departing October 31 on Seven Seas Mariner, this cruise features five new exotic ports of call for Regent—Takoradi, Ghana; Lomé, Togo; Cotonou, Benin; São Tomé and Walvis Bay, Namibia. On the day in Lomé, guests who so choose will attend an authentic Voodoo Ceremony in Sanguera; tour the base of Mount Agou, Togo’s highest mountain; and visit a Ewe tribal village. Walvis Bay, with its wide lagoon where innumerable sea birds, pelicans and flamingos reside, will appeal especially to bird-watchers.
Prefer South America? Norwegian Cruise Line will return to the continent for the first time since 2010. Norwegian Sun will sail 14-day South American voyages between Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina between November 4, 2015 and March 26, 2016. Ports of call include Puerto Montt, Chile; Puerto Chacabuco, Chile; Punta Arenas, Chile; Ushuaia, Argentina; Stanley, Falkland Islands; Puerto Madryn, Argentina; and Montevideo, Uruguay. Guests will also sail through the Chilean Fjords and around Cape Horn.
For its 50th anniversary, Princess Cruises is returning to its “Love Boat” roots with a commemorative Pacific Princess itinerary to Mexico’s west coast. It will set sail December 3, 2015—50 years to the day that the line’s original ship, Princess Patricia, set sail on Princess’ first cruise in 1965. The sailing will be 14 days, just as the line’s first cruise was. Look for many ports featured on the line’s maiden itinerary such as Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Manzanillo, along with such newer destinations in Baja California as La Paz and Loreto. Guests on the cruise will be treated to an array of special activities/entertainment and surprise guests.
Celebrity Cruises is offering new experiences for Celebrity Xpedition guests. Collaborating with Galapagos National Park, Celebrity’s naturalists will guide guests who will join a Santa Cruz reforestation project to plant Scalesia trees, endemic vegetation that’s lost much of its habitat, thus adversely impacting wildlife.
Happy Cruising !
No comments:
Post a Comment