Big Fat Cruise Wrap

Big Fat Cruise Wrap

It’s the first cruise wrap of 2019! So if you haven’t fully recovered from being back in the office yet, these cruise ship pics should soothe you through to Friday (if you look at them for long enough).

The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built set to sail local waters for the first time in 2020/21 as part of her inaugural Australian and New Zealand season

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Leading luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) is excited to announce that The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built™, Seven Seas Explorer, will cruise Australian and New Zealand waters as part of her 2020/21 season for the first time since debuting in 2016.

With over USD $450 million spent on building the exclusive, 375 suite ship – including over an acre of marble, an enviable US$7 million art collection, and one of the biggest suites at sea – it is no surprise that Seven Seas Explorer has been hailed as The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built™.

Seven Seas Explorer boasts all-suite, all-balcony accommodation featuring sublime European beds, marble bathrooms, luxury amenities from L’Occitane, Bvlgari, Guerlain and Hermes, some of the biggest verandas at sea and a mini-bar that is replenished daily free-of-charge.

Seven Seas Explorer will be entering Australian waters for the first time on the 28th December 2020, visiting Darwin before she sails down to Sydney on the 6th January 2021. Offering nine entirely all-inclusive itineraries exploring regional waters throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia and The South Pacific from November 2020 until April 2021, Seven Seas Explorer will deliver a level of luxury never seen before in the region.

Silversea’s flagship Silver Muse sails into Sydney Harbour for the first time

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Ultra-luxury cruise line, Silversea Cruises, is celebrating the inaugural arrival of its fleet’s iconic flagship, Silver Muse, which sailed into Sydney Harbour yesterday morning, Sunday 6th January 2019.

The arrival of Silver Muse, which is widely regarded as one of the most luxurious boutique cruise ships in the world, marks the first time in a decade that Silversea has brought one of its new vessels to Australia; she launched for the first time in April 2017. The ship was welcomed by the Australian Girls’ Choir, singing at the pier at White Bay Cruise Passenger Terminal.

Following her arrival in Darwin on 26th December 2018, Silver Muse’s itinerary has visited many Australian maiden ports of call as she has travelled towards Sydney. Guests aboard Silver Muse have enjoyed an unforgettable journey down the idyllic east coast of Australia, making maiden ports of call at Cairns, Townsville, the Whitsunday Islands and Brisbane, before arriving into Sydney for the very first time on 6th January 2019.

The arrival of Silver Muse to Sydney was celebrated on board with Roberto Martinoli, chief executive, and Barbara Muckermann, chief marketing officer, attending from Monaco. They gathered to welcome friends and travel partners of Silversea to the magnificent vessel.

Celebrity Cruises’ launches massive annual “Wave” sale

Modern luxury cruise line Celebrity Cruises’ has released its huge annual “Wave” deal for 2019. The award-winning line’s new “Sail Beyond Event” offers guests up to AUD$400 in savings on their cruise fares, plus free drinks, USD$600 onboard spending money and free high-speed Wifi, for bookings made by 6 March 2019.

Fares start from AUD$2,799 per person, twin share for an Oceanview Stateroom, on an 11-Night Western Mediterranean Roundtrip cruise on Celebrity Infinity, departing Barcelona on 6 May 2019 and calling to Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Gibraltar, Provence, Nice, Florence and Rome. Includes AUD$200 savings plus free drinks and US$300 onboard credit per stateroom. Plus kids save up to 50 per cent as part of Celebrity’s “Sail Beyond Event”.

Fares start from AUD$2,619 per person, twin share for an Oceanview Stateroom, on a 12-Night New Zealand cruise on Celebrity Solstice, departing Sydney on 27 October 2019 and calling to Hobart, Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds, Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Tauranga, Auckland. Includes AUD$200 savings plus free drinks and US$300 onboard credit per stateroom. Plus kids save up to 50 per cent as part of Celebrity’s “Sail Beyond Event”.

Cunard unveils first full season of Alaska Voyages in 2020

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Luxury cruise line Cunard has announced it will spend a full season in Alaska from June through to September 2020 on the newly-refurbished Queen Elizabeth. Cunard is making its long-awaited return to Alaska in May this year after a 20-year break – and due to high demand, the line will more than double their program in 2020.

The expanded program will offer nine roundtrip sailings departing Vancouver, ranging from nine to 12 nights, plus a special cruise to San Francisco including an overnight stay on Independence Day.

Guests will have the opportunity to take in the breathtaking beauty of Alaska – the Great Land – with its awe-inspiring landscapes and magnificent wildlife whilst enjoying the very best in luxury onboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth.

Each Alaska voyage will feature stunning destinations along the Northwest Pacific coast of Alaska and British Columbia including Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and more. In addition, the voyages offer more than 120 excursions to choose from, including scenic cruising in the narrow waterways of the Inside Passage, the Hubbard Glacier and Sawyer Glacier’s twin fjords, Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm.

MSC Cruises celebrates float out of MSC Grandiosa

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MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and market leader in Europe, South America, South Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and Chantiers de l’Atlantique have celebrated the float out of MSC Grandiosa at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, where the ship is being built. She has now been moved to a wet dock, where work on the ship will continue until her delivery in October 2019.

MSC Grandiosa is due to become the third Meraviglia ship to enter MSC Cruises’ fleet, and the first of three Meraviglia-Plus ships, which feature larger tonnage and guest capacity than the first two Meraviglia ships – MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima. She will also become the fifth ship to enter MSC Cruises’ fleet in just two and a half years. As part of MSC Cruises’ fleet expansion plan, the Company is due to take delivery of another 12 next-generation cruise ships by 2027.

MSC Grandiosa will showcase an even larger Mediterranean-style promenade, the ground-breaking feature unique to Meraviglia generation ships that serves as the social hub of the ship. Amongst other specialty restaurants, it will feature a new bar and lounge, L’Atelier Bistrot, offering lounge seating with a stage and a dance floor, impressionist art on display and terrace seating with Parisian Bistrot tables and chairs. This award-winning promenade will host surprise performances, including flash mobs and themed parties as well as the awe-inspiring projections on the even longer 98.5-metre LED Sky screen.

As other Meraviglia class ships, MSC Grandiosa will feature two brand new exclusive shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea. This is part of a long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil, the world leader in artistic entertainment.

ATP Cup announcement onboard Carnival Spirit

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Some of the world’s top tennis players took time off the circuit to enjoy views of the iconic Sydney Harbour onboard Carnival Spirit this week.

Captain Binacchi held court with Bruno Soares, Jamie Murray, Milos Raonic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lucas Pouille, Diego Schwartzman and Nick Kyrgios alongside The Hon. Adam Marshall MP, NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events and The Hon. Stuart Ayres MP, NSW Minister for Sport, on board the ship showcasing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as part of the announcement of the ATP Cup, which will debut in Australia in January 2020.

In 2019, Carnival ships will sail over 150,000 guests out of Sydney Harbour, on 60 cruises, making this Carnival’s biggest year to date sailing from the stunning harbour city. Carnival Splendor will also join the Australian fleet in December 2019, sailing from her new home port of Sydney.

She is set to become the newest and largest ship homeported year-round in Australia. With over 45 activities to enjoy each day, Carnival’s ships offer fun-loving families and couples lots of fun, memorable holidays at great value.

Gastronomy & Wine: the flavours of a PONANT cruise

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PONANT, the only French cruise ship owner, offers a subtle combination of gastronomy and oenology with its “Gastronomy, Vineyards and Grands Crus” cruise. An epicurean adventure to be enjoyed from 13th April 2019.

With this cruise in partnership with Ducasse Conseil and Château Latour, PONANT offers the chance to enjoy an extraordinary culinary experience, a journey incorporating visits to exceptional vineyards and cities along the Atlantic coast with a rich cultural heritage.

Pursuing the collaboration between PONANT and Ducasse Conseil, the consulting experts of Ducasse Paris, guests will partake in two very special gala dinners prepared by Xavier Boireau, chef of the Rech restaurant, a seafood institution in Paris, and Francis Fauvel of Ducasse sur Seine, the first 100 per cent electric cruise boat restaurant.

To round off this experience, the master cheesemonger, Bernard Antony, will be present aboard, offering a selection of exceptional mature cheeses. This gourmet journey will also be the occasion to meet the geographer and wine historian, Jean-Robert Pitte and the famous sommelier, Eric Beaumard. They will both give fascinating lectures throughout the cruise on oenology and French winemaking history.

P&O Cruises announces its third ‘Tribute to the King Cruise’ in 2020 as the world remembers Rock Legend’s 84th birthday 

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Marking the King of Rock and Roll’s eighty-fourth birthday, P&O Cruises today announced a ‘Tribute to the King’ cruise has been made a must-do feature of its exciting 2020 program.

P&O’s third ‘Tribute to the King’ celebration at sea will be the central theme of a four-night Pacific Explorer cruise to Moreton Island departing from Sydney on May 17, 2020.

The cruise is already available for all those diehard fans who still refuse to believe that their rock and roll idol ever ‘left the building’. Even better, the tribute cruise is being offered with P&O’s legendary $1 deposit deal.

The 2020 cruise follows the resounding success of the first ‘Tribute to the King’ cruise on Pacific Eden last year and the growing excitement surrounding this year’s tribute onboard Pacific Explorer from Sydney in May.

Seabourn to introduce decadent new Regiis Ova Caviar to luxury travellers

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Seabourn, the world’s finest ultra-luxury cruise line, has long been known to offer guests caviar service but now is appealing to the culinary senses of travellers even further with the introduction of Regiis Ova caviar on its fleet of five ships.

This new offering is an extension of Seabourn’s culinary partnership with Chef Thomas Keller through his new caviar company. Co-founded by Keller and Shaoching Bishop, former CEO of Sterling Caviar and Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, Regiis Ova (“Royal Egg” in Latin) partners directly with the world’s finest sources of sturgeon farms that have met the standards of Chef Keller’s restaurants, including The Grill by Thomas Keller.

Regiis Ova has selected Siberian Reserve (Acipenser Baerii) from a family owned and operated farm in the fisherman village of San Gregorio de Polanco on the shore of the Rio Negro in Uruguay. The Siberian Reserve is pleasing to the eye and palate, offering a variety of shades and a subtle yet slightly sweet buttery flavour. Its eggs offer a delicate texture with notes of walnut and dried fruits due to the maturing process.

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