Celebrity Raising the bar for cruising from the UK

• Celebrity Cruises announced that for the first time, one of its industry-transforming Edge® Series ships will homeport in Southampton, UK for its entire 2024 season. The second ship in the line’s award-winning Series – Celebrity Apex – will replace the recently-revitalised Celebrity Silhouette, opening up a new way for British guests to explore Europe in style.
• With four-to-13-night sailings from May to November 2024, travellers can delight in the beauty and culture of awe-inspiring Europe, whether for a short multi-city break or an extended adventure at sea.
• Guests onboard can expect to enjoy:
  • The exclusive The Retreat® with its stunning suite accommodation, a private restaurant, and an exclusive lounge and sundeck to rival any high-end resort. In addition, a dedicated team of Butlers on-hand 24/7, ensures everything is taken care of while on holiday.
  • Transformational accommodation, from modern two-storey villas with plunge pools to staterooms with infinite balconies, that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living.
  • The Magic Carpet®, soaring cantilevered above the sea and offering guests uninterrupted vistas while sipping cocktails or having dinner.
  • A curated collection of 29 culinary venues including the brand-new Craft Social Bar, offering 40 handcrafted boutique beer selections, creative cocktails and a wide selection of a la carte, gourmet comfort food and bar bites. Globally-inspired menus, crafted by Michelin-starred chefs bring the flavours of the world straight to the plate, providing an epicurean journey unmatched at sea.
  • 7,000 square feet of retail offerings featuring renowned luxury stand-alone boutiques Bvlgari, Cartier and the first-ever Montblanc lifestyle boutique.
  • First-at-sea F45 classes, along with Peloton bikes, and “Women in Wellness” onboard content and experiences from some of the most influential female leaders in wellness, augment well-being offerings throughout the ship.
• The exciting news brings one of the brand’s newest and most innovative ships directly to British shores, signalling the importance of the UK market in the fast-recovering cruise industry.

Azamara Unveils 155-Night World Voyage for 2025 With 46 Late Nights and Overnights 

• Azamara –is pleased to announce its 2025 World Voyage, departing from San Diego, California and visiting 37 countries before concluding in Southampton, UK. Taking place on the independent cruise line’s latest ship, Azamara Onward, this itinerary will include 15 overnights and 31 late stays in port, giving guests more time to immerse themselves in each unique destination. Due to the high demand for Azamara’s 2024 World Voyage, which is currently sold out with a waitlist, the cruise line is showing its appreciation for trade partners, loyalty guests, and past and current world-cruisers by giving them the exclusive opportunity to book first. 
• Azamara’s 2025 World Cruise will feature 13 complimentary land events, beginning with a kickoff gala in San Diego. Additional highlights of Azamara’s immersive land experiences offered on the 2025 World Cruise include: 
• Benoa, Bali: Guests will discover Benoa’s natural beauty and the charm of the island’s deep-rooted culture during a special AzAmazing Evening, where local performers will display traditional forms of dance with intricate footwork and finger movements.
• Bangkok, Thailand: A two-night stay offers guests the chance to truly immerse themselves in Bangkok’s local culture through the city’s food, music, dance, art and Buddhist temples. Travelers can opt for shore excursions to the mountainous city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and the Southeast Asian country of Lao, known for its Buddhist monasteries and French colonial architecture.
• Semarang, Indonesia: Semarang is known as the Venice of Java for the many rivers that run through the center of the city. From this port, guests can take a shore excursion to Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple dating back to the 9th century.
• In addition to taking guests to every corner of the world, Azamara’s 2025 World Voyage offers over $25,000 in exclusive amenities, including $4,000 in onboard credit, an additional $3,000 for shore excursions, roundtrip business class air travel, a premium beverage package for two, weekly laundry service, and more. 
• Azamara’s 2025 World Voyage bookings are currently open to trade partners, loyalty guests, and past world-cruisers only. Bookings will open to the public on November 10,

FIFA World cup will be broadcast on Costa Ships

• Costa Cruises’ ships will broadcast live the official matches of the next football World Cup, which will be held in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, on Sport 24, the in ship live sports channel.
• No matter where they will be cruising at that time – the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates, South America or transatlantic cruises – guests of the Italian company will not miss a single minute of the scheduled matches, even in the middle of navigation, thanks to satellite broadcasting with extensive coverage between the two hemispheres (northern and southern). The matches will be available free of charge both on the screens in the public areas of the ships and on cabin televisions.
• The flagship Costa Toscana will broadcast the first matches from the Western Mediterranean until late November, when she will sail to Dubai with a wonderful 20-day cruise. The final matches of the World Cup will be available during the first of the weeklong winter cruises to the United Arab Emirates and Oman, including long calls in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat. Costa Smeralda will visit Italy, France and Spain weekly during the entire World Cup period, while Costa Deliziosa will offer one-week cruises to Greece, Croatia and Montenegro, departing from Bari and Trieste.
• Costa Fascinosa will be offering a 10-day cruise to Lisbon, an 11-day cruise to Morocco, and a mini-cruise in the Mediterranean. Costa Pacifica will offer mini-cruises in the Mediterranean. After that, in early December, both ships will move from Europe to the Caribbean, with 14- and 16-day transatlantic cruises, visiting two continents in one holiday.
• Costa Favolosa, Costa Fortuna and Costa Firenze will depart from Italy, November 18, 20 and 28, to Brazil and Argentina, where they will be operating throughout the winter, including the final matches of the World Cup, broadcast always on Sport 24.

PONANT’s Le Commandant Charcot turns to Airbus

• Le Commandant Charcot has sourced Airbus’ expertise in high-resolution satellite imagery to prepare and fine-tune its future route plans in the Arctic. Already providing satellite images of the area to institutions for needs related to shipping, defence, and safety at sea, Airbus will now distribute them to PONANT with other joint applications being studied also.
• Images delivered by Airbus in near real-time provide valuable information on ice conditions along the route allowing the crew to then adjust the itinerary accordingly to better account for the updated environmental conditions, ensuring the ship’s safety, optimise comfort for guests and limit fuel consumption.

Carnival Takes delivery of Carnival Celebration

• Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th birthday celebration is ready for the grand finale, and it involves a spectacular gift to its guests as the company took delivery of Carnival Celebration, the fleet’s newest Excel-class ship and sister to Mardi Gras, at a signing ceremony at Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland. Carnival President Christine Duffy and Carnival Senior Vice President of New Builds Ben Clement joined CEO of Meyer Turku Tim Meyer to welcome Carnival Celebration into the fleet.
• The second ship in Carnival’s ground-breaking Excel-class, Carnival Celebration is stunning from the first step on board, from its three-deck-high atrium to the dozens of dining and beverage concepts spread out across six themed zones – which include the Miami-inspired 820 Biscayne and an homage to all-things travel in The Gateway – plus, the award-winning BOLT roller coaster.
• Carnival Celebration will arrive at her homeport of Port Miami on Nov. 20 after a 14-day transatlantic Journeys Cruise from Southampton, England. A naming ceremony will be held that evening which promises a tribute to Carnival’s past and more importantly a look ahead to its exciting future. Carnival Celebration will accommodate more than 5,200 guests, expanding Carnival’s overall capacity and adding a spectacular new option for guests sailing from Miami as it operates Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries year-round. The week-long voyages will visit destinations like San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Turk. To see current sailings from Miami on Carnival Celebration.

Here comes the FUN Queensland

• Sailing into Australian waters on Sunday, Carnival Luminosa has officially arrived in the Sunshine State, bringing her unique blend of Carnival fun to Brisbane for the very first time.
• Ported at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, a special message was sent to locals overnight as 61 of Luminosa’s windows were lit with “We <3 QLD” across her 290m+ length
• Setting sail on her first passenger cruise on November 06, Carnival Luminosa will be the first Carnival ship to sail from Brisbane, with 28 sailings from November 2022 to April 2023. With 60 ports of call across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific, Luminosa will visit a number of Queensland destinations including Airlie Beach and The Great Barrier Reef, supporting Carnival Australia’s anticipated $165 million contribution to the Queensland economy this year.
• Carnival Luminosa will operate out of Brisbane seasonally from November 2022 to April 2023. The ship will then reposition to Seattle from May 2023 before returning to Queensland later in the year.
• Facts about Carnival Luminosa:
  • Capacity: Over 2,200 guests and 920 crew
  • Length: 964 feet (294m)
  • Decks: 12
  • Weight: 92,720 gross tonnage
  • Beam: 106 feet (32m)

Adelaide is the latest Australian port to welcome back cruisers.

• Sporting a giant ‘We love SA’ banner on its bow, P&O Cruises Australia flagship Pacific Explorer arrived in Adelaide today, kicking off a record cruising season in South Australia and the start of the first of the flagship’s two exciting local cruise seasons.
• The twin seasons begin with three round-trip cruises from Adelaide, including calls to Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln, and the fourth cruise from Adelaide ends in Melbourne for a cruise season that also involves calls to South Australia.
• Pacific Explorer’s second Adelaide season begins on February 24 with the first of seven round-trip cruises, including a spectacular voyage to New Zealand. The eighth cruise from Adelaide ends in Fremantle after calls to Albany and Busselton, the gateway to the Margaret River wine district.
• This is all part of a stunning summer 2022-23 cruise season, with ships from five Carnival Australia cruise lines making 72 calls to South Australian ports, generating almost $65 million in economic activity.

The Melbourne Cup Fleet is Back as Three Carnival Australia Ships Bring 7,600 Guests to The Race That Stops the Nation

• Following a two-year absence from the race that stops the nation, three Carnival Australia-brand ships today delivered an incredible 7600 race lovers to the Melbourne Cup on cruises featuring a stellar line-up of hosts and talent.
• Among the star attractions one of Australia’s most iconic up-and-coming fashion icons, Patti Pink Cake, media personality and entrepreneur Jules Robinson and multi-talented jockeys Robbie Dolan and Glen Boss.
• P&O Cruises’ Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter arrived from Sydney and Brisbane respectively on 31 October and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor sailed in from Sydney today, 1 November.
• The ships berthed at Station Pier, delivered the biggest ever contingent of interstate visitors to the Cup.
• The Melbourne Cup Cruises across the three ships feature a fantastic line-up of racing and fashion events alongside all the other incredible activities on board offering one of the best ways to experience Australia’s iconic thoroughbred racing event in style.

European Waterways Welcomes Solo Travelers with Waiver of Single Supplement

• Once considered a niche market, solo travel is quickly becoming an industry phenomenon, accounting for more than 25 percent of travellers worldwide. But “going solo” doesn’t necessarily mean going it alone. This is especially true on luxury hotel barge cruises with European Waterways, where solo travelers can often be found among guests. Because European Waterways vessels hold a maximum of just 20 passengers, solo travelers quickly feel “part of the family” by the like-minded passengers and friendly crew.
• To welcome this “singular” segment of their clientele in 2023, European Waterways is waiving the single supplement on L’Impressionniste’s April 16, 2023 departure in Southern Burgundy and La Bella Vita’s April 16, 2023 departure in Italy. The offer is valid when booked by November 30, 2022.