Celebrate Scenic Eclipse’s long-awaited delivery by whiling away your day getting through this whopper of a cruise wrap. We promise it’ll buy you at least an hour of idle time.

Scenic takes delivery of Scenic Eclipse

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has confirmed it took delivery of Scenic Eclipse on July 26 from the Uljanik Shipyard.  Scenic Eclipse departed the shipyard at 8pm on Saturday 27 July on its journey to Valletta, Malta for registration. From there she will make a number of short stops before arriving in Reykjavik, Iceland, where she will commence operations of her first scheduled cruise. This inaugural voyage is a 13-day discovery sailing via Greenland and Eastern Canada before arriving in Quebec on August 27.

Silversea announces new collaboration with Lalique 

Silversea Cruises announced a collaboration with legendary lifestyle brand Lalique, enriching the onboard experience for guests. Founded in 1888, Lalique is celebrated for its exquisite jewellery, decorative items, interior design, perfumes, and artworks.

Using French know-how and fine craftsmanship honed over generations, Lalique will produce decorative crystal artworks to enhance the designs of La Dame restaurants aboard two Silversea ships: Silver Shadow, which will undergo an extensive renovation in November 2019, and Silver Moon, which is due to launch on August 2020. Silversea’s La Dame restaurants serve French gourmet cuisine in an elegant, refined setting, offering the perfect canvas for Lalique’s world-famous artistry.

G Adventures introduces the new Reina Silvia Voyager yacht for immersive comfort touring in the Galápagos

G Adventures introduces a sixth yacht to its fleet of vessels for touring the Galápagos Islands, with 2020 departures posted on its website today. The custom-built catamaran will be among the most comfortable passenger touring vessels of its size in the Galápagos, and will reflect the company’s commitment to responsible tourism.

The 103-foot Reina Silvia Voyager catamaran will cruise the Galápagos Islands as a high-end touring vessel, accommodating up to 16 passengers in 10 cabins on two decks. Eight of those cabins are designed for twin/double stays, and two are dedicated to solo travellers who prefer their own space at a good value.

Eight rooms offer private balconies, while all rooms have panoramic windows for optimal ocean viewing, plus bright, contemporary furnishings, artwork by local naturalist photographers, and energy-saving LED lighting.

P&O Cruises confirms country music is king with a trio of headline acts performing at its first country music festival at sea

Country music fever is hitting the high seas with three of Australia’s latest and greatest country music stars confirmed to headline P&O Cruises’ first country music themed cruise departing Brisbane this December.

Gold Coast star Casey Barnes who has performed alongside big international names such as Mariah Carey and Bryan Adams will take a break from his sell-out tour to perform his hit songs to more than 2000 guests onboard.

The homegrown success story will be joined by Country Music Awards Hall of Fame inductee James Blundell and The X Factor Australia singer-songwriter Caitlyn Shadbolt.

Each of the three artists will take to the ship’s main stage for a spectacular solo performance before coming together on the final evening for an epic finale at the late-night Country Music Jam Session.

Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic unveil polar art exhibition

Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Expeditions, global leaders in responsible tourism and expedition travel, have announced Change, a first-of-its-kind art exhibition aboard its polar new build, National Geographic Endurance.

The innovative ship-wide installation will be curated by acclaimed artist, Zaria Forman, whose dramatic large-scale pastel drawings documenting climate change are exhibited worldwide.

Change is the first-ever permanent ship-based polar art installation, incorporating a wide-ranging collection of drawings, paintings, video, photography, sculpture, and more, from over 35 artists. The collection has been assembled making use of the entire ship—both public and private spaces–themed deck by deck. From polar light and intimate looks at vast geographies to human history and exploration in polar regions, to how we have come to understand it, the art provides guests the richest polar experience possible – and provokes thought and change.

Norwegian Cruise Line partners with Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation on conservation cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, is partnering with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Guy Harvey Research Institute to host the third annual ocean conservation-themed cruise on Norwegian Escape this September.

Departing 15^th September 2019 from New York, guests who sail on this unforgettable cruise will experience a week full of opportunities to meet Guy Harvey, world-renowned marine artist, scientist, conservationist, entrepreneur and hull artist of Norwegian Escape, as he hosts curated events about ocean conservation on board and at each port of call.

Princess Cruises: guests cruising Australia and New Zealand in December set to rise 27 per cent

Princess Cruises is preparing for the festive season with bookings now open for December sailings.

With the 2019/2020 cruise season set to be the largest in Princess Cruises history, over 51,000 people are expected to cruise Australia and New Zealand across four Princess ships this December, an almost 30 per cent increase in guests who sailed the region at the same time last year.

Ships sailing Australia and New Zealand in December include the 113,561 ton 3,080 guest Ruby Princess, the 143,700 ton 3,560 guest Majestic Princess, Golden Princess, and Sea Princess which collectively will make 14 voyages on itineraries from Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

Coral Expeditions to share Christmas with the King of Saparua

Coral Expeditions surprise guests on its 12-night Spice Islands and Raja Ampat cruise, departing 21 December 2019, with an unforgettable experience of Christmas lunch with the King of Saparua.

Having established close personal ties with the island of Saparua on recent expeditions, Coral Expeditions have been welcomed back by the King to share lunch and festivities with the village this Christmas. Master of the fleet Gary Wilson extended a special invitation for the King and his family to join the guests for a special celebration whilst visiting during our maiden voyage.

On this 12-night sailing onboard the company’s newest vessel, Coral Adventurer, guests will enter the ancient trade routes of the legendary Spice Islands, retracing the travels of early explorers.

Evergreen announces end of early bird deals for Europe River Cruising program + ‘Flavour of France’ cruise

Early bird offers for Evergreen Cruises & Tours 2020 Europe River Cruising program end on 31 August 2019 with 87 per cent of best value staterooms already sold.

Some of the line’s best 2020 early bird offers with savings up to $4,600 per couple include:

• 15-day Splendours of Europe river cruise from $5,145 per person. Save up to $4,600 per couple.

• 8-day Jewels of the Rhine river cruise from $2,995 per person. Save up $2,400 per couple.

• 8-day Sensations of Lyon & Provence river cruise from $3,045 per person. Save up to $2,800 per couple.

• 8-day Secrets of the Douro river cruise from $4,195 per person. Save up to $2,300 per couple.

Evergreen Cruises & Tours has also created a dedicated Flavours of France cruise along the Rhône and Saône rivers to celebrate the very essence of French food culture.

The 8 Day Flavours of Burgundy and Provence cruise, starting from $3,645 per person*, sails through the heart of Europe’s famous food wine-producing regions, and features a line-up of tastings, hosted dinners and guided vineyard visits. With Evergreen’s early bird offers, savings of up to $2,500 per couple* are available for bookings made by 31 August 2019.

Cruise America’s Great Lakes and save up to US$1600 per couple

The breathtaking Niagara Falls, the motor city of Detroit, bustling Chicago and the picturesque Great Lakes all feature on a new, eight-night cruise package offered by boutique American cruise company, Victory Cruise Lines. Australians can save up to US$1600 per couple if they book a cruise by September 30, 2019.

Australians can visit this fascinating region on any of Victory’s eleven ‘North America’s Coastal Connection’ cruises available from Niagara Falls to Chicago between May and August, 2020.

Patagonia webinar with Aurora Expeditions

Become a Patagonia expert by joining Aurora Expeditions’ Patagonia webinar on the 13^th & 14^th August, 2019. The webinar will be held by Patagonia Expedition Leader Lelia Cataldi who’s been working with Aurora Expeditions for more than seven years. Cataldi has worked and lived for 10 years in Southern Patagonia, providing guests with unique, high-quality travel experiences, in close contact with nature.

Dates:
13th August – 8:30am (AEST) Sydney, Australia
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6007210765601500684?source=20190813+Webinar+Registration+Page

14th August – 8:30pm (AEST) Sydney, Australia
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7503708763167703308?source=20190814+Webinar+Registration+Page

European Waterways announces new themed cruises in 2020 to meet growing demand for experiential travel

European Waterways is now offering a wider range of new themed cruise departures for 2020, on a per cabin basis, as a response to the ever-increasing demand for experiential travel.

Cruises eligible for cabin bookings include the April 5, 2020 Whisky Trail cruise aboard the Scottish Highlander and the April 26, 2020, Golf Cruise aboard the Spirit of Scotland, both on Scotland’s Caledonian Canal; the April 12, 2020 Wine Appreciation Cruise aboard L’Impressionniste in Burgundy, France; and the August 16, 2020 Opera Cruise aboard La Bella Vita, which sails out of Venice.