Palatial elegance at sea

THE world’s newest and most luxurious residence at sea will be perched on the 14th deck of Seven Seas Splendor, above the bridge and overlooking the ship’s bow, when she sets sail in February 2020. 

As the largest suite ever constructed on a luxury cruise ship with more than 278 square-metres of interior accommodation, the Regent Suite is 412 total square-metres of palatial elegance at sea. 

Complete with an in-suite spa retreat featuring a personal sauna, steam room and treatment area with unlimited spa treatments,unobstructed 270-degree views over the ship’s bow from the 120 square-metre wraparound veranda, and a glass-enclosed solarium on top of the bridge with a Captain’s view of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Guests in the Regent Suite also enjoy a dedicated personal butler to manage all the details of the guests’ experience, a personal car with driver and guide in every port. 

The Regent Suite is nearly twice as large as the average Australian home and 20 times larger than the average cruise ship stateroom and is already sold-out for nearly all of Seven Seas Splendor’s 2020 inaugural season sailings.   


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New ports of call in Europe for Viking cruises

VIKING cruises today announced the addition of two new itineraries and a variety of new pre- and post-cruise extensions to its river cruise offerings for 2019. 

Debuting in March 2019, the new 10-day Holland & Belgium itinerary will sail between Amsterdam and Antwerp, allowing guests to explore the inland waterways of the Low Countries and visit new ports of call for Viking: Rotterdam, Maastricht and Nijmegen.

Also, in commemoration of World War II and D-Day, Viking will offer a new 11-day cruisetour, Paris & D-Day 75th Anniversary, with two special departures that coincide with the June 6, 2019 anniversary. On this historic journey, guests will travel from London to the maritime city of Portsmouth before boarding their ship in Paris and sailing through Normandy, where they will visit and honor D-Day landing sites.


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Cruising Australian Waters

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 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.

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Ride the Waves

A new data-driven report by InsureMyTrip, the largest travel insurance comparison site, and Cruise Critic, the largest cruise community, reveals that more travelers prefer to book a cruise during late January than any other time during the year. Data shows online searches for cruise deals typically spikes in early January.

In addition to a new buying cycle expected for 2019, cruisers can expect the following trends:

Technology Enhancements — Travelers can look forward to improved internet capabilities and technologies being rolled out across brands like Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian and MSC in the upcoming year.

Longer Time In Port, Less At Sea — More cruise lines will provide additional time in port and less time at sea, giving cruisers more time to explore destinations. Also, many cruise lines are planning port enhancements and upgrades.

More Personalized Experiences — Expect more cabin upgrades and perks for suite passengers, like personal concierges and private dining.

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Sail for Free

BOOK any seven-night Fiji cruise and receive three nights free with small ship cruise specialists, Captain Cook Cruises Fiji’s, annual ‘Three Nights Free Sail’. Offering savings of up to AUD$2100 per person this deal is on sale until 28 February 2019 with travel valid until 31 March 2020 including school holidays. 

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji’s seven-night itineraries include the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands cruise which departs every Tuesday and Saturday and the 4 Cultures Discovery cruise and Colonial Discovery cruise which depart once a month on alternate months.

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Premium Line at the Top

HOLLAND America Line took home five Porthole Cruise Magazine's 2018 Readers' Choice Awards. Readers from Porthole, one of the world's leading consumer cruise travel publications, recognized Holland America Line in areas that covered everything from top shoreside experiences to onboard facilities.

Holland America Line won in the categories of Best Shore Excursions, Best Private Island for Half Moon Cay, Most Eco-Friendly Line, Best Medical Facilities and Best Facilities for Guests with Disabilities.

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First port of call for Virgin Voyages announced

VIRGIN Voyages announced today that the company’s first ship, Scarlet Lady, will feature Cuba as one of her voyage destinations during her inaugural season in 2020. Virgin Voyages’ decision to sail to Cuba was influenced by customer and travel partner research it conducted in North America and the United Kingdom. Both groups consistently rank the Caribbean island as one of the most desired and interesting destinations to visit on a voyage. 

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Exclusive beach club on board

P&O Cruises Australia will be offering a limited number of guests exclusive access to a private ‘beach club’ onboard its newest ship, Pacific Adventure. Called the “Byron Beach Club”, the retreat will be available to guests booked in to Pacific Adventure’s suites and mini suites. 

The exclusive-access retreat offers a private outdoor pool, whirlpool spas and comfy seating situated on the top deck (16) of the ship. With expansive sea views, club-goers can enjoy pure relaxation and pampering in stylish surroundings. In addition to the pool and spa area, Byron Beach Club guests can enjoy their own private dining concierge service.


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Cruising to the top

THE first week of September became memorable for Seabourn, the world's finest ultra-luxury cruise line, as the company received 16 top travel awards and distinctions from Conde Nast Traveller, Cruise International, American Airlines Celebrated Living and Travel Weekly (U.S.) magazines. 

The accolades include best in luxury and readers' choice selections, as well as recognition at other levels in a variety of categories for everything from being the world's best small ship cruise line and best luxury cruise line to best design, onboard entertainment, marketing and loyalty program.

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Dubai a global cruise tourism hub

THE cruise industry has long boasted of its value compared to land vacations. And now according to a new report from Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cruise tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of Dubai’s tourism industry with the city being among the world’s leading winter cruise destinations. 

The global cruise industry continues to grow rapidly with 27 million cruisers expected in 2018. By 2030 more than 40 million people worldwide will travel on cruise ships annually. #Dubai is well-placed to be a global cruise tourism hub. 

According to Cruise Arabia and Africa, the number of cruise passengers in Dubai increased to 625,000 in the 2016/2017 season compared to 320,000 in the 2013/2014 cruise season representing a 95 per cent growth rate. Over the next cruise season 2018/2019, the tourism board of Dubai expects to see 725,000 cruise tourists and 825,000 cruise tourists in the 2019/2020 season.

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Explore the Russian Far East

ACCOMMODATING just 200 guests, Crystal Endeavor, the world’s largest, most spacious purpose-built polar class expedition yacht, will set sail from Tokyo in August 2020 on a journey encompassing the far east of Russia and Japan to mark her maiden voyage. 

The territory Crystal Endeavor will cover during this 17-day voyage is dramatic and far from the beaten path – from the rarely explored Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands (places favoured by whales, otters, seals, bears and foxes) to the glorious hot springs in the Valley of Geysers, to the natural paradise along Japan’s northern shores and the volcanic peaks of Mt Rishiri.

Crystal Endeavor itineraries will go on sale Thursday, 23 August 2018.


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Seabourn has approval to sail to Cuba from Miami

SEABOURN, the world's finest ultra-luxury cruise line, has received approval to begin sailing to #Cuba from Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, starting with a 12-day #cruise aboard Seabourn Sojourn departing Miami on November 4, 2019.

The 11-, 12-, and 14-day sailings will visit five ports in Cuba, calling at three or four on each itinerary and providing guests the ideal opportunity to discover the different regions on this vast island. All five voyages will feature overnight stops in the historic capital city Havana, offering travelers ample opportunity to see and experience this vibrant destination. 

The visit to Havana allows guests time to explore the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site during its 500th anniversary year and immerse themselves in a wide array of historical and cultural experiences.

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Worlds most popular cruise destinations

THE world's leading cruise reviews site, Cruise Critic and its online #cruise community, has announced the winners of its third annual Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards, naming the world's most popular cruise #destinations, based entirely on consumer ratings submitted with reviews on Cruise Critic. The awards name the top cruise destinations across 18 regions worldwide. New in 2018, the awards also highlight the best cruise lines to visit each region.

The Eastern Mediterranean port of Kotor, in Montenegro, came out as the number one destination hotspot for UK cruisers. The Baltic Sea port of Talinn, capital city of Estonia, secured second place in popularity, and the Aegean island of Santorini proved third favourite overall, for UK cruise travellers.

Highlighted Awards:

Glacier Bay in Alaska was named the Most Popular Cruise Destination in 2018 – It's one of the best Inside Passage locations for glacier and wildlife viewing, with its Margerie Glacier considered one of the most photogenic glaciers.

Edinburgh secured the top destination award in the British Isles & Western Europe category – for the very first time - beating Barcelona, Rome and Venice, among many others. 

Cuba's capital city of Havana was named the Best Cruise Destination in the Western Caribbean & Riviera Maya for the first time. While international cruise lines have long visited Cuba, U.S. travelers were only able to begin visiting the island once regulations were eased in 2016.

Dubrovnik has been named the Top-Rated Eastern Mediterranean Destination for the past two years, and has done it again this year to score a hat trick.


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Cruise magnet Puerto Vallarta

THE Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board welcomes the return of Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Miracle first call to Puerto Vallarta in seven years. Connecting San Diego and Puerto Vallarta, the ship is scheduled to make its call on December 2019.

Carnival Miracle will join the 2019 winter season offering 10 voyages from the Port of San Diego, kicking off on December 1, 2019, with a seven-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera featuring stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.

Puerto Vallarta continues to be a great magnet for the cruise industry, the maritime terminal will receive 154 cruises this year with 404,734 people on board approximately, which represents 9 percent more than in 2017 when 145 vessels arrived.

Calls to the destination are expected to increase annually and Puerto Vallarta’s International Port (API) is preparing with an estimated $22 million USD extensive renovation and construction project that will improve port infrastructure, generate direct and indirect jobs, incentivize the Mexican Riviera's route and the Port - City link.

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On the water . . .

AFTER releasing selected 2020 Europe river cruising itineraries on 6 June 2018, Viking has opened all Europe river cruises for 2020. The line has done this in response to unprecedented demand, and is the only company to have 2018, 2019 and 2020 all on sale at the same time. Guests can lock in a 2020 cruise at 2018 prices with just a $500 deposit. Viking had already opened 2020 sailings of Pharaohs & Pyramids and Oberammergau, The Passion Play in March, due to strong demand.

This announcement comes on the heels of an impressive list of recent accolades for Viking: 

• In February, Viking swept Cruise Critic’s 8th Annual Cruisers’ Choice Awards with 10 First Place honours. 
• In 2017, the company was named the #1 ocean cruise line in Travel + Leisure’s 2017 World’s Best Awards 
• Viking was voted the Best River Cruise Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards.

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First to board

JOINING the inaugural round trip cruise from Reykjavik, regular PONANT cruisers Wendy Burgess & Dainis Kivlenieks from Australia were the first passengers to board PONANT’s brand new Explorer class small luxury expedition ship Le Laperouse, they joined a sell-out group of passengers from around the world eager to try out this first of six new PONANT Explorer ships currently being constructed. 

Le Laperouse will spend some time in Northern Europe and Mediterranean before heading south via the Seychelles and Borneo to arrive in Australia early in 2019 for a season of voyages that include the Great Barrier Reef, Kimberley, Sub Antarctic Islands and New Zealand waters.



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Viking's ocean fleet expands

NAMED after the prominent constellation and in honour of Dr. Fisher’s work on NASA’s Orion exploration vehicle project, the 930-guest 47,800-ton Viking Orion arrived in Livorno, Italy on June 16. The ship will continue her maiden season sailing itineraries in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean this summer before heading east to sail Viking’s newest itineraries in Asia, Australia and Alaska.

New ship features include a planetarium-like immersive theatre, an “Explorations in Space” collection conceived as a photographic journal through space, with a broad range of vintage photographs, including astronaut portraits and documents of complex mission activities, produced by NASA and captured by National Geographic photographers.

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Silversea offers saving for Australia to Asia sailings

ULTRA-LUXURY cruise line Silversea, is offering exceptional savings on a number of voyages to Asia in 2018 and 2019 with an All-Inclusive Package promotion now available on new bookings made before 31 July 2018. The savings program includes free economy roundtrip air or business-class air upgrade for AUD$999 each way for flights from select Australian gateways; free one-night pre-cruise hotel stay; free transfers between airport, hotel and ship; and at least one free shore excursion in every port.

Silversea’s shore experiences are carefully crafted to reveal the cultural, historical and natural treasures of Asia, from Vietnam’s surreal Ha Long Bay and the tropical paradise of Koh Samui to the golden temples of Myanmar. Nearly 20 new options have been added, totalling approximately 180 free shore excursions, complemented by additional shore options available for purchase.

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10 years of luxurious expedition

SILVERSEA Expeditions proudly celebrated 10 years of luxurious #expedition #cruising on June 3, marking the occasion with a two-day gala voyage between London and Dublin. On this momentous day, the ultra-luxury Silver Cloud departed London’s Tower Bridge amid great elation to honour Silversea Expeditions’ very first voyage, which sailed under Tower Bridge for Svalbard a decade ago to the day.

In a testament to the company’s continued focus on innovation, Silver Cloud, which was the first vessel in Silversea’s fleet and was reimagined as an elegant ice-class expedition ship in late 2017, crossed paths with Silver Spirit – Silversea’s recently lengthened and renovated ship – in Greenwich, London. 

The array of enrichments aboard Silver Cloud’s celebratory voyage included a congratulatory video message from HSH Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, who had cut the ribbon in Monte Carlo during the naming ceremony for Silversea’s first expedition ship in 2008. Originally named Prince Albert II in tribute to His Serene Highness and his environmental efforts, the ship sails today as Silver Explorer and continues a legacy of sustainable tourism.

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My heart is in Havana

CARNIVAL Cruise Line has expanded its cruises to #Cuba with the addition of 23 three- to five-day sailings to Havana in 2019-20 aboard five different ships departing from four convenient East Coast homeports - Carnival Sunshine from Charleston, Carnival Triumph from Fort Lauderdale, Carnival Paradise from Tampaand Carnival Victory and Carnival Sensation from Miami.

The 3,002-passenger, 102,853-ton Carnival Sunshine will be the largest #cruise ship to ever call in Havana while offering the first-ever cruise to Cuba from the Port of Charleston. Guests sailing on Carnival's Cuba cruises can select from nearly 20 different shore excursion experiences that showcase the island's vibrant culture, majestic beauty and centuries-old architectural landmarks. 

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