What a better way to sail into the new year than with a jam-packed, ocean-sized cruise wrap. We take full responsibility for those terrible puns.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Announces Organizational Enhancements to its Asia Pacific Operations

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) (the “Company”) today announced enhancements to the organizational structure of its Asia Pacific operations that will enable it to further leverage the extensive corporate resources and expertise already in place in the region and continue to strengthen its presence in the Chinese cruise market.

Steve Odell, Senior Vice President & Managing Director Asia Pacific, has expanded his role to include the Company’s China operations along with the greater Asia Pacific region. Alex (Yucheng) Xiang has been promoted to Managing Director of the Company’s China operations, reporting to Odell. David Herrera, previously President of the Company’s China operations and based in Shanghai, will relocate back to Miami as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development.

Celebrity Edge Continues to Surprise: Inaugural Season to Kick-Off Sooner than Expected

Celebrity Cruises is excited to announce the highly anticipated inaugural season of Celebrity Edge has expanded, as the transformational new ship will be completed ahead of schedule and enter service earlier than planned.

The schedule change will now allow Celebrity to offer not one, but two distinct seven-night maiden voyages on Celebrity Edge’s alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries. Travellers also have the option to book back-to-back sailings for a 14-night journey:

• Maiden Voyage West: A seven-night western Caribbean cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 9, 2018, and visiting Key West, Florida; Costa Maya, Mexico; Cozumel, Mexico; and George Town, Grand Cayman.

• Maiden Voyage East: The previously announced seven-night eastern Caribbean cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale on December 16, 2018, and visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

“Thanks to the amazing work of the STX France shipyard team, the industry-changing Celebrity Edge is now scheduled to arrive much earlier than anticipated, which gave us the opportunity to offer not one, but two maiden voyages,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises.

“Both of these maiden voyages, plus the taste of luxury preview sailings, will have all of the festivities one would expect from the launch of such a revolutionary new ship, and now even more guests will have the chance to experience these one-of-a-kind inaugural sailings.”

Tennis legends Mark Philippoussis, Goran Ivanišević and Todd Woodbridge join the lineup for P&O’s 2018 Australian Open Cruises

With the Australian Open 2018 just around the corner, P&O Cruises is reminding tennis fans that the ultimate Grand Slam experience is onboard their Australian Open cruises, announcing a number of tennis greats as part of the program for their 2018 sailings.

More than 3500 guests sailing to Melbourne on Pacific Eden and Pacific Explorer will be treated to a packed program that will take them to the heart of tennis at its competitive best. With tennis fever set to hit the nation soon, fans should be quick to secure their place for 2019, with bookings now available.

Davis Cup winner Mark Philippoussis and Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević will join the action in 2018 when the ship docks in Melbourne, hosting a Q&A session with fans onboard Pacific Eden where they will reveal their epic career moments and insider perspectives of the 2018 Open. Meanwhile, multiple Grand Slam Doubles winner Todd Woodbridge will treat fans to a Q&A onboard Pacific Explorer when it’s in Melbourne.

New Patagonian cruise ship christened for her first season of cruises in January 2018

Patagonia – the wild, southern tip of South America – has a brand, new cruise ship with the christening of Ventus Australis and her first summer season of ‘bottom of the world’ voyages to Cape Horn and the glaciers of Tierra del Fuego from January 2, 2018.

To mark the debut of Ventus Australis – the second ship for the Chilean cruise line, fares have been frozen for the 2018/19 summer season. The inaugural series of cruises for the new expedition ship from January to March, 2018, is heavily booked, with some cabins still available, and early bookings for the following summer program from September, 2018, to March, 2019, are already strong.

Latin for southern winds (Australis – southern; Ventus – wind), the 210-passenger Ventus Australis has been christened in a ceremony at the Asenav shipbuilding yard where she was built in the southern Chilean city of Valdivia. The godmother is Sol Lecaros de Nevares, the niece of Australis President, Pedro Lecaros.