Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales came and went in a flash, but don’t fret. This week’s Cruise Wrap has a saving or two, as well as a swathe of FOMO-inducing announcements.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Vasco da Gama to champion domestic ports during inaugural Australasian sailing

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) has welcomed Vasco da Gama to Sydney, as the vessel began her first Australasian season.

The inauguration coincides with CMV’s ten-year anniversary in 2019, and marks the cruise line’s largest Australasian deployment yet.

During Vasco da Gama’s first Australasian season, the cruise line will champion domestic tourism by making key regions like Tasmania, the North West of Australia, and the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia more accessible and more affordable for guests to experience.

The vessel will homeport in Adelaide and Fremantle, also cruising from London (Tilbury), Auckland, Sydney and Singapore.

“Vasco da Gama is expected to carry an extra 5,900 guests throughout the 2019/20 season compared with CMV’s previous Australasian season, though the ship will still have the intimate, country-club-like atmosphere on board that CMV is known for,” CMV Australia managing director Dean Brazier said.

A&K welcomes expert team aboard one-off total solar eclipse expedition to Antarctica  

Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) has announced a once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise on luxury mega yacht Le Lyrial, designed around the total solar eclipse on 4 December 2021 that will plunge parts of the Antarctic Ocean into complete darkness.

A&K’s expedition team has selected the ideal location for its ship to be positioned to allow guests a viewing time of approximately one minute and 40 seconds at the rarely visited South Orkney Islands northeast of the Antarctic peninsula.

Astronomer Dr Massimo Terenghi, former astronaut Kathy Sullivan, scientist David J. Crain, and Paranal Observatory founder Dr Tarenghi will join the journey.

A&K’s 15-day ‘Antarctica & the Total Solar Eclipse Cruise’ sails between 28 November and 12 December 2021 and is priced from $29,685 per person twin share (was $34,910), single supplement from $25,065.

MSC celebrates float-out of MSC Virtuosa

MSC Cruises has celebrated the float-out of MSC Virtuosa, the third major new ship building milestone celebrated in the past month at the shipyard.

The event, marked at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, follows the successful delivery of MSC Grandiosa and the steel cutting ceremony of MSC Europa, the cruise company’s first LNG-powered ship.

MSC Cruises has also announced a “ground breaking” research and development project in conjunction with Chantiers de l’Atlantique – known as PACBOAT – which will focus on the integration of a new fuel cell technology on board the LNG-powered MSC Europa, which the company said is “especially relevant for cruising”.

The cruise line added it is “committed” to contributing to the development of next-generation advanced environmental technology for the benefit of “its own environmental stewardship journey” and “that of the entire cruise industry”.

Crystal Cruises announces 10 new ocean ‘Getaways’ for 2019/20

Crystal Cruises has unveiled 10 brand-new voyages added to its collection of Crystal Getaways – shortened versions of longer itineraries – ranging from four to ten nights, including:

• ‘Haute Caribbean Holiday’ – departing 22 December 2019. This journey includes eight nights from Miami to Turks & Caicos, Antigua, Barbados and St. Maarten
• ‘Timeless Treasures & Ancient Cultures’ – departing 20 March 2020. This journey includes eightnights from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka
• ‘Empires of Past & Present’ – departing 3 April 2020. This journey includes eight nights from Mumbai to Oman, the gulfs of Aden and Aqaba and Jordan

Fares for Crystal’s new Ocean Getaways begin at just $2,935 per guest, double occupancy, and also include alternate sailing dates.

Silversea training academy welcomes Galapagos experts

Silversea has completed its third ‘Expedition Training Academy’ with five accomplished expedition guides from Silver Galapagos and two academy trainers.

Overseen by a dedicated director, the academy has the aim of enriching guests’ travels around the world. The following experts participated in Silversea’s third Expedition Training Academy:

• Paulina Aguirre – biologist, naturalist/guide
• Aura Banda – environmental manager, naturalist/guide
• Nicolai Bølling – biologist, naturalist/guide
• Bernardo Galvez – architect, naturalist/guide
• Leandro Vaca – biologist, naturalist/guide
• Nicolas Danyau – naturalist/guide, Silversea Academy lead trainer
• Sarah Merusi – naturalist/guide, Silversea Academy lead trainer.

Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic announce Alaska family offer

Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic have announced a new Alaska family offer, with savings of up to 50 per cent on children’s tickets.

Travellers can also receive free airfares from Seattle to Alaska on select 2020 Alaska departures, when booked by 31 December 2019.

Guests will receive free round-trip airfares on ‘Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness’, ‘Wild Alaska Escape: Sitka to Juneau’ and ‘Wild Alaska Escape: Juneau to Ketchikan’.

On the other hand, guests can receive free one-way airfares on ‘Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska & British Columbia’ and ‘A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia & Haida Gwaii’.

P&O Cruises poised for record number of families with 2021 program

A record number of families will sail with P&O Cruises when Pacific Adventure joins the cruise line’s fleet next year, with the cruise line set to carry more than 200,000 people travelling in families or family groups after the 3000-guest ship’s arrival.

In a separate announcement, the cruise line revealed its 3000-guest ship Pacific Encounter will be based in Brisbane from November 2021.

P&O’s new 2021 summer program of itineraries will see Pacific Encounter offer 11 cruises until January 2022 including dedicated itineraries to the South Pacific Islands and Queensland coastal destinations.

The 2500-guest Pacific Explorer will also be based in Cairns for a summer season of four cruises in 2021, including a unique 10-night itinerary to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

With the season beginning on 9 November 2021, guests can also enjoy three dedicated cruises to Papua New Guinea, with the vessel calling at Alotau, Kitava Island, Rabaul, Kiriwina Island and the Conflict Islands.

Adventure Canada’s ‘Scotland Slowly’ savings

Rugged ruins, ancient villages, world-famous distilleries and whales are just some of the highlights of an Adventure Canada expedition voyage of Scotland in 2021.

Adventure Canada and Cruise Traveller are offering a 15 per cent early bird saving on the ‘Scotland Slowly’ cruise as well as a free night’s accommodation, meaning couples can save up to US$4,000 if they book by June 1, 2020.

Additionally, no solo supplement will be charged for single travellers in selected cabin categories, while offers are subject to availability.

Beginning on 13 June 2021, guests will enjoy a free night’s accommodation in Glasgow before boarding Adventure Canada’s 198-passenger, eco-friendly vessel, Ocean Endeavour, for a 10-night cruise from Glasgow to Aberdeen. The journey is available from US$7050 per person.