Feeling out of whack from the long weekend? You’re not alone. But a healthy helping of the latest news from the high seas will put you back onboard.

Silversea unveils almost 200 new itineraries

Silversea Cruises has unveiled a collection of 197 new itineraries and opened an exclusive pre-sale to Venetian Society members.

Departing between January 2021 and April 2022, the new voyages visit 528 destinations in 92 countries, including to Antarctica and the Black Sea, and were crafted by the cruise line’s destination experts to unlock new and unique experiences around the world.

Highlights of Silversea’s new 2021 and 2022 voyage collection include:

• An Eastern Mediterranean program that includes voyages to the Black Sea, the Holy Land, and Istanbul
• Silver Explorer’s first-ever season in Australia’s Kimberley region
• Two solar eclipse voyages in Antarctica, which come as part of a 21-voyage season there; and
• 30 voyages in Northern Europe, including four circumnavigations of Iceland, and many new experiences in the Norwegian Fjords.

Norwegian Cruise Line reaches $2 million fundraising goal for hurricane relief

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has announced it has reached the goal of raising US$2 million for Hope Starts Here, a hurricane relief program, to assist with emergency response efforts in the Bahamas.

The funds were raised after receiving donations from team members, guests, travel partners, and business partners to assist the non-profit organisation All Hands and Hearts in providing disaster relief from Hurricane Dorian.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has unveiled an exciting new offer that delivers an additional US$3,000 in overall value for guests, including all five ‘Free at Sea’ offers and up to US$5,000 in onboard credit.

The limited-time offer is available on more than 750 sailings departing in 2020 and ends 16 October 2019.

NCL’s Norwegian Encore has successfully completed a major construction milestone by departing the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany and sailing down the Ems River, towards the North Sea.

On Monday, 30 September 2019, Norwegian Encore began her conveyance to Eemshaven, Netherlands, with initial crew members on board already preparing to welcome her first guests this November.

Nominations open for the CLIA Awards

Nominations are now open for the 19th annual Cruise Industry Awards, the Australasian cruise community’s biggest celebration of the year.

Hosted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia, the awards will be presented at a black-tie gala dinner at The Star Sydney on 15 February 2020, with tickets now on sale exclusively to CLIA members.

Nominations can be submitted online and are open until Friday 22 November 2019. A total of 11 categories are open for self-nomination or peer nomination, with awards for both Australian and New Zealand nominees.

Scenic releases Asia 2020/21 brochure

Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours has launched its Oriental Wonders of China, Japan, South Korea and India 2020/2021 brochure, which includes a program into South Korea and a range of exclusive new Scenic Enrich experiences in Japan and China.

Key itineraries include:

• 14-day China Express, Beijing to Shanghai, starting from $8,490 per person
• 14-day Golden India, Delhi to Delhi, starting from $12,990 per person
• 14-day Japan in Focus, Tokyo to Osaka, starting from $16,990 per person; and
• 10-day Soul of South Korea, Seoul to Seoul, starting from $9,190 per person.

Royal Caribbean and WWF breakthrough in fight to save Hawksbill turtle from extinction

Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) swimming underwater, Nosy Be, North Madagascar.

Last week on World Animal Day, Royal Caribbean International marked a major milestone in its partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia (WWF-Australia), focused on saving the endangered Hawksbill sea turtle from extinction.

A new DNA extraction test will offer scientists and conservationists vital information to track – and ultimately help end – the illegal trade of hawksbill turtle products.

The innovative project forms part of Royal Caribbean and WWF’s five-year global partnership to support ocean conservation and help ensure the long-term health of the seas. Turtle lovers and holidaymakers are encouraged to support Royal Caribbean and WWF’s efforts and #thinkbeforeyoubuy while travelling overseas.

The Hawksbill sea turtle is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN); the scientific community estimates as few as 6,700 breeding females remain in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The new test will allow scientists and marine conservationists to identify where turtle shell products have come from, and pinpoint Hawksbill turtle populations, to allow for targeted conservation efforts.

In a separate report, Royal Caribbean has announced it will offer 86 sailings on five ships during the 2019/20 local season, with more than 550 port calls until 25 April 2020; the cruise line claims this will boost the Australian economy by approximately $160 million.

MSC Meraviglia arrives in New York

MSC Cruises’ first Meraviglia class smart ship, MSC Meraviglia, made its inaugural visit to North America on 7 October. It arrived at Manhattan Pier, New York City, and continues sailing along the east coast of North America.

With a double occupancy capacity of 4,488 and gross tonnage of 171,598 GRT, MSC Meraviglia is MSC Cruises’ largest ship sailing from the US and sets the record for the largest ship to ever port in Manhattan.

Coral Expeditions to host webinars during Cruise Month

Coral Expeditions is giving agents the chance to win a seven-night coastal voyage in Tasmania by participating in the cruise line’s upcoming training webinars, as part of CLIA Cruise Month.

The four webinars, to take place over October, will cover a range of topics including background into three of the company’s key destinations: the Kimberley, Islands of Indonesia, and Tasmania. The webinars will also cover an explanation on the cruise line’s traveller offers and an update on its new 2021 sailing schedule.

Coral Expeditions webinar sessions:

• Webinar 1: Thursday, 10 October
  First time traveller offer | Tasmania
• Webinar 2: Tuesday, 15 October
  Solo traveller offer | Islands of Indonesia
• Webinar 3: Thursday, 17 October
  Coral discoverer | Our Fleet
• Webinar 4: Thursday, 24 October
  New 2021 sailings | The Kimberley

Agents will need to register and watch all four webinars by 31 October to go into the draw to win the seven-night Pristine Tasmania Expedition for two.

For further information about joining the upcoming webinars, please contact Liz Sawers, National Sales Distribution Manager, sales@coralexpeditions.com.

Featured image: Zodiac cruise at Mongomery Reef  by Pablo Bianco/The Public Relations Agency