First Cruise Ship Returns to Auckland

• Following an absence of more than two years, P&O Cruises flagship Pacific Explorer sailed into Waitemata Harbour, Auckland (12 Aug) becoming the first cruise ship to return to New Zealand marking the restart of cruise tourism following the reopening of maritime borders.
• Pacific Explorer and her guests, currently on a 12-night round-trip cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and Fiji, were accorded a traditional Māori welcome after berthing at Queen’s Wharf. Guests also received a spectacular greeting as they emerged from the Cloud to fan out across Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland and the district on locally run tours.
• Among those welcoming Pacific Explorer were local business owners covering a wide range including hospitality, tours and transport, who have been looking forward to the restoration of the economic opportunities associated with cruise tourism. Pacific Explorer’s welcoming group also included Julie McEwen, a young New Zealand citizen who is building an international reputation as a cruise director on board P&O ships.

AIDAprima: Stunning ship staging at the Hamburg Cruise Days

• On Saturday 20 Aug evening, the cruise ship AIDAprima was the star on stage at Hamburg Cruise Days. Together with the MSC Magnifica, the ship “danced” a fascinating “Pas de Deux on blue” in front of the backdrop of a blue-lit harbor. The elaborate staging was accompanied by an impressive light show, a drone ballet and music.
• “We are delighted to be part of this impressive light show with AIDAprima. Not only the sky above the Elbe was made to shine, but also many faces of the people of Hamburg and visitors, who have long been yearning for such an event full of goosebump moments and vacation joy,” says Hansjörg Kunze, Vice President Communication & Sustainability.
• The Hamburg Cruise Days ended on Sunday with the departure of AIDAsol. The cruise festival has attracted more than 135,000 visitors.
  
  

Carnival Luminosa Brisbane Cruises open for sale

• In exciting news for Queensland cruise fans, Carnival Cruise Line has today revealed its first-ever Brisbane program with 59 sailings departing from the Sunshine State from November 2022 to April 2024.
• Sailing on board the latest addition to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, Carnival Luminosa, guests will have the opportunity to discover the brighter side of cruising with a ship packed with natural light, plus hospitality and fun that’s pure, unmistakable Carnival.
• Carnival Luminosa will be the latest in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet to be adorned with the stunning new livery that was introduced on Mardi Gras in 2021 and has been added to half the Carnival fleet, with the red, white and blue hues long associated with Carnival Cruise Line. The ship will also boast a vintage funnel design reminiscent of the funnels on Carnival’s original ships like Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Festivale.
• Carnival Luminosa will also be home to many of the activities and experiences from other Carnival ships that guests have come to know and love as well as some new spaces. Featuring guest favourites from entertainment, youth, and spa to bars and dining, offerings will include Playlist Productions, The Punchliner Comedy Club, Limelight Lounge, Piano Bar 88, Alchemy Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Chef’s Table, Bonsai Sushi Express, Seaday Brunch, Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, and Cloud 9 Spa, among others.
• Itineraries for inaugural season
• Kicking off guest operations in Brisbane, Carnival Luminosa will visit a range of stunning destinations across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Among the incredible program, highlights include ten visits to the Great Barrier Reef and an 11-day cruise visiting Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and New Zealand’s picturesque Fjordland National Park.
• Guests will also have the opportunity to embark on a globetrotting 22-day Transpacific Journey sailing when Luminosa heads to Seattle via the South Pacific and Honolulu in April 2023. After her season in Seattle, Carnival Luminosa will return to the Sunshine State for more fun later in 2023.

Carnival says thanks with an extra day of fun for Splendor’s first sailing

• Saying thanks to its most dedicated fans, Carnival Cruise Line announced that guests booked for Carnival Splendor’s first cruise back in Australian waters will receive an extra day of fun.
• Previously set to depart from Sydney on 02 October 2022, Splendor will now set sail on Saturday, 01 October, bringing the cruise to four days in total. What’s more, guests will now have the chance to visit one of Australia’s best-kept secrets, Tangalooma Island Resort – Moreton Island, QLD as part of their itinerary. Previously the cruise was a three-day roundtrip getaway.
• Existing passengers booked will receive this extra day on-the-house, providing even more opportunities to explore the 45+ activities to experience onboard Carnival Splendor, including the exhilarating Green Lightning thrill-slide, delicious Indian cuisine at Masala Tiger, signature cocktails at Alchemy Bar, and much more!

Carnival Names senior officers of Carnival Celebration

• As its newest ship is just three months away from joining the fleet, Carnival Cruise Line today named the senior leadership team of Carnival Celebration, set to arrive to Carnival’s hometown homeport, PortMiami, this November. Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras, Chief Engineer Fabien Gervaise and Hotel Director Pierre Camilleri will lead more than 1,700 crew members on the new ship.
• Carnival Celebration is currently under construction at Meyer Turku in Finland, and its new leadership team is there getting acquainted with the new ship as construction is completed.
• Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras: When Carnival Celebration completes its first week in service from Miami, Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras will also mark his 26th anniversary with Carnival Cruise Line. Starting in 1996, Capt. Alcaras, who is originally from Italy, worked on Carnival’s first Celebration iteration, the M.S. Celebration, as a second officer. He was promoted to first officer while on board M.S. Celebration and was then promoted to Safety Officer two years later. He first became captain in Sept. 2006 on Carnival Miracle. He’s worked on several ships throughout the fleet and he has been part of the inaugural team for newbuilds, overseeing the delivery of Carnival Breeze and Carnival Celebration’s Excel-class sister Mardi Gras.
• Favorite place on board: Wheelhouse
• Favorite food on board: My recipe at Cucina del Capitano
• Favorite Playlist Show: Celestial Strings
• Most memorable moment with Carnival: When I was appointed captain on Carnival Miracle in 2006.
• Favorite things to do when not on board: I love to spend time with my family as much I can, read books and watch soccer
• Captain Vincenzo will be assisted by Chief Engineer Fabien Gervaise & Hotel Director Pierre Camilleri:

Celebrity Cruises celebrates construction milestone on Celebrity Ascent

• Sparks flew as workers at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard welded a ceremonial coin to a massive steel docking block forming the ship’s keel, officially marking the beginning of construction on the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises transformational Edge Series – Celebrity Ascent℠.
• Placing the coin in this time-honoured maritime ceremony were Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises; and Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. According to the legend – and a tradition that has spanned centuries – the laying of the coin is thought to bless and bring good fortune to the ship.
• Celebrity Ascent is the fourth ship in the line’s ground-breaking Edge Series, a class of ships hailed as engineering and design marvels. Like her industry-changing sister ships, Celebrity Edge®, Celebrity Apex℠, and Celebrity Beyond℠, Ascent will connect guests to the breathtaking world around them like never before. Standing at 17 decks tall and 20 metres longer than the original Celebrity Edge, Ascent will also feature more space and more luxury onboard.
• Celebrity Ascent will debut in Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on 3 December, 2023 for her inaugural Caribbean season of alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. Contact your local CLIA accredited cruise specialist for availability and rates.

 The Viking Saigon Begins Inaugural Season in Southeast Asia

• Viking today announced that its newest river ship, the Viking Saigon, has begun its inaugural season in Southeast Asia. Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the 80-guest ship sails between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and Mỹ Tho, Vietnam as part of Viking’s popular 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary. With the 2022-2023 season now underway,  regular sailing dates are available through March 2023; the 2023-2024 season begins in July 2023.
• The Viking Saigon: Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the new Viking Saigon hosts 80 guests in 40 outside staterooms. Featuring the clean Scandinavian design for which Viking is known, all staterooms have hotel-style beds and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a Veranda or French Balcony. Guests on the three-deck Viking Saigon also enjoy a Spa & Fitness Center, Infinity Pool and open-air Sky Bar on the Upper Deck

Viking’s newest ship named on The Nile

• Viking named its newest river ship, the Viking Osiris, with a celebration in Luxor, Egypt. As part of the intimate event, the company’s first ceremonial godfather, George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship—an evolution of the naval tradition that dates back thousands of years. Designed specifically to navigate the Nile, the state-of-the-art ship was built at Massara shipyard in Cairo and will sail Viking’s bestselling Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
• The naming of the Viking Osiris comes as Egypt marks several key events this year, including the highly anticipated opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo on the Giza Plateau and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by the world’s most famous Egyptologist, Howard Carter, and his benefactor and co-explorer, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.
• The Viking Osiris & Viking’s Growing Egypt Fleet
• Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new, state-of-the-art Viking Osiris is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. The vessel features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. The Viking Osiris joins the Viking Ra, which launched in 2018. Additionally, in response to strong demand, the Viking Aton, an identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, will join the fleet in 2023. During today’s naming event in Luxor, Hagen also announced that two more sister ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, are already under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

MSC Cruises has announced an update to its Northern Hemisphere Winter 2022/23

• MSC Virtuosa will replace MSC Preziosa in Northern Europe, offering the planned ‘Northern Pearl’ sailings – a newly introduced winter itinerary in 2021. The 7-night cruises call Hamburg in Germany; Zeebrugge for Bruges and Brussels in Belgium; Rotterdam in the Netherlands; Le Havre for Paris, France and Southampton for London in the UK.
• MSC Preziosa will now be based in Santos, Brazil offering a range of mini sailings and 7-nights that include Uruguay and Argentina as well as cruises calling at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for New Year and Carnival in February. MSC Preziosa’s local season will finish with a 22-night Grand Voyage from Santos and Rio de Janeiro to Northern Europe for Summer 2023.
• MSC Bellissima will replace her sister ship MSC Virtuosa in the Mediterranean, where she will offer the planned 7-night sailings calling at the Italian ports of Genoa, La Spezia, Naples then Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France