Unveiling Park19: New Top-Deck Family Activity Zone to Debut on Board Sun Princess

• The most engaging family activity zone ever featured on a Princess cruise ship is setting a course for adventure aboard the new Sun Princess, when the first Sphere Class vessel debuts Park19 in February 2024. Located on the top decks of Sun Princess, Park19 features nine engaging activities for the entire family to enjoy in a newly envisioned space perfect for fun and sun for all generations.
• Located on decks 19, 20, and 21, Park19 was envisioned for active guests and multi-generational families to explore and connect through inclusive and engaging activities, including:
  • Sea Breeze – Inspired by the dream of hang gliding but in a safe environment, the Sea Breeze is the first Rollglider on a cruise ship and takes guests high above to enjoy panoramic views of the ocean and breathtaking ports of call. Using an overhead track, guests are seated and harnessed to this electric ride which reaches speeds of up to 11 mph during the 60- to 90-second experience that is also ADA accessible.
  • Coastal Climb – On this engaging climbing structure guests ascend from decks 19 to 20 through a series of obstacles. Once at the top, guests can take in the gorgeous views before sliding back down to the bottom.
  • The Lookout – At the top of the climbing structure, adventurers make their way to The Lookout open-air observation deck to take in stunning 360º views from the highest point available to guests onboard Sun Princess.
  • The Net – Harnessed above deck 19, guests are challenged to trek across unstable bridges, a z-shaped balance beam and climb cargo nets.
  • Infinite Horizon – For those who love heights, leaning tilt walls cantilevered over the side of the ship allow guests to peer out from deck 19 and look down to deck nine and beyond.
  • Hammock Area – Another first for Princess, relaxing hammocks allow Park19 visitors to take a break from exploring to hang out with family and friends.
  • Splash Zone – A whimsical splash area with pop jets and a beautiful water sculpture offer a refreshing and relaxing area to chill.
  • Recreational Court – From ping pong, shuffleboard, Xponential Fitness classes and morning meditation, a rotation of sports and wellness options will be offered to guests in this multifunction sports court.
  • Jogging Track – A refreshing open-air track allows guests to walk, jog or run at their own leisure and pace, with 6.7 times around the track equalling one mile.
• Additional family-centric offerings onboard Sun Princess are found in the Youth & Teen Centers located on decks six and seven where activities and age-appropriate areas abound for all younger guests ages six months to 17. These complimentary areas include:
  • Firefly Park – For the youngest Princess guests, this imaginative space, located on deck six, invites youngsters ages six months to seven years old and their families to explore, play and socialize. This family center is a place to play together or drop kids off for a program of art projects, theme parties and group games. Firefly Park also invites families with babies and toddlers, ages six months to three, to crawl and engage their senses with a dedicated play area. After hours group babysitting is available from 10 pm – 1 am for $5 per hour, for ages three – 12.
  • Neon Grove (tweens) and The Underground (teens) – Located on deck seven, two separate areas offer an inviting space for tweens and teens to hang out, socialize, and just have fun. Both spaces feature colorful, comfy sofas and chairs for lounging, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles, plus air hockey, foosball, and skeeball. Program activities for these age groups include ship scavenger hunts, movie nights, friendly competitions, and dance parties.

MSC to plug in at 15 more ports

• MSC Cruises has expanded its shorepower plan, with at least 15 new ports earmarked to receive shoreside electricity between 2024 and 2026. The next phase of MSC’s shorepower plan will see vessels plug into a shoreside electricity grid in at least five Italian ports, as well as Barcelona, Copenhagen, Marseille, Miami, Norfjordied, Rotterdam, Stavanger, Stockholm, Valencia, and Valletta.
• Both MSC and its sister brand Explora Journeys will utilise the shorepower facilities.
• MSC’s ships have since Feb successfully used shorepower at Southampton and Kristiansand, and later in the northern summer, the cruise line will test the facilities at Haugesund.
• Other European trials this year are planned for a range of MSC ships at Bergen, Alesundand, and Warnemunde. This will be followed by Hamburg in the northern winter and Kiel in next year’s summer.
• Shorepower capability has been fitted on all of MSC’s new ships as standard since 2017, and with retrofits completed on other vessels, 67% of the cruise line’s total capacity is equipped with the technology.

Carnival Lays out plans for dining room enhancements.

• Guests on Carnival Dream Will Be First to See New Menu Offerings
• Carnival Cruise Line will be enhancing its main dining rooms offerings over the next several months to bring more variety, with nearly 60 new entree presentations on rotation, fleetwide. The enhancements will be piloted on Carnival Dream beginning June 17, with a fleetwide rollout by this fall.
• In consultation with Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse, the culinary team has been evaluating every aspect of the fleet’s main dining room offerings and planning new options.
• New main dining room menus will also include offerings from Carnival’s popular specialty dining restaurants, so more guests may experience the wide variety of great food offered across the fleet.
• Carnival chefs are also addressing larger portion offerings for certain entrees, along with additional vegetarian options and entrée salads.

Latest Addition to Carnival Fleet to Set Sail with First Guests From New York

• Carnival Cruise Line welcomed the first guests to sail on Carnival Venezia™ from New York City today. The ship’s launch in New York coincides with the busy summer travel season and builds on an exciting period of growth for Carnival, as the first of three ships to join the fleet over the next year.
• Carnival Venezia received a special blessing by Father Enrique Salvo of St. Patrick’s Cathedral during the special welcome event, and acclaimed comedian and television host Jay Leno became the first godfather named to a Carnival ship. Leno also performed a special comedy show exclusively for Carnival’s event guests.
• The ceremony on Wednesday night also highlighted new entertainment programming and other concepts created for Carnival Venezia’s debut. The ship is the first to introduce “Carnival Fun Italian Style” that adds Carnival’s signature fun to the vessel’s beautiful Italian theming. Carnival Venezia is architecturally styled after its namesake, the city of Venice, Italy.

Sail with Sir Richard Branson

• On 27 August, Virgin Voyages are hosting their most iconic experience yet — A Virgin Celebration: Sailing Club Voyage which celebrates Virgin’s 50+ year history, all while sailing aboard Resilient Lady to some of the most gorgeous islands and coasts across Greece and Turkey.
• On this once-in-a-lifetime voyage, Richard Branson and his friends will be hosting exclusive events and epic programming that take you on a journey from Virgin’s rock-n-roll past and into its galactic future — filled with never-before-told-stories from some of the world’s most influential leaders.
• This 7-night voyage sails from Athens to Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum, and Mykonos

Celebrity reveals first details of Celebrity Ascent

• Celebrity Cruises unveils for the very first time details about what travellers can experience on board the brand’s newest resort at sea, Celebrity Ascent, once it launches this November. Celebrity Ascent will be the newest ship based in South Florida for the 2023-2024 Caribbean season. Cruising out of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale from December 2023 to April 2024, the stunning new ship will transport guests to some of the Caribbean’s most desired destinations like the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands, before departing to Europe for a summer of bucket-list Mediterranean cruises in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Spain and France.
• On board Celebrity Ascent, guests will enjoy the signature experiences of the brand’s Edge Series ships, including its industry-first outward facing design that maximises views and outdoor areas allowing guests to connect with the world around them, a robust food and beverage program with 30 plus choices from casual to fine dining to satisfy all palates, plus spacious and sleek staterooms in a breadth of accommodation options catering to all travellers from solo adventurers and couples, to multi-generational family groups.
• Incorporating all the features that made her sister ships in the Edge Series a TIME magazine “World’s Greatest Places,” Celebrity Ascent will bring back favoured signature experiences, like:
  • The Theatre – that takes entertainment at sea to a new level with state-of-the-art technology and experiential, imaginative performances.
  • The Rooftop Garden – the ultimate outdoor haven where guests can enjoy live music, movies, infinity float pools, and even al fresco dining at the Rooftop Garden Grill.
  • The Spa – where holistic wellness takes centre stage through 120 destination-inspired treatments, the SEA Thermal Suite featuring eight distinctive therapeutic experiences inspired by nature, plus specialty treatment beds, a full-service salon and barber.
  • The sprawling Resort Deck – featuring a main pool lined with cabanas, two-story martini-glass-shaped hot tubs, and The Solarium, an adults-only, tranquil spa-inspired retreat built for relaxation and complete with pool, hot tub and loungers.
  • The Sunset Bar designed by Nate Berkus – where an international beach club ambiance meets fresh sea breezes and boundless views.
  • The Magic Carpet® – the world’s first cantilevered lounge and gathering space at sea sits on the edge of the ship, offering a new way to drink, dine and socialise while enjoying unobstructed panoramic views.
  • Inventive culinary experiences – like the three-story Eden Bar and Restaurant featuring floor-to-ceiling views, or the fully immersive and animated Le Petit Chef dinner.
  • The Grand Plaza and Martini Bar – that stun guests with an interactive chandelier and jaw-dropping Flair, Flash, Fusion bartender shows.
  • Modernised accommodation options – such as the Infinite Veranda® that transforms from window to terrace with the push of a button, and the AquaClass® staterooms built for wellbeing-seekers that are packed with thoughtful design and exclusive amenities.

Seabourn elevates in-suite dining.

• Seabourn, the leader in ultra-luxury voyages and expedition travel, is elevating its 24-hour in-suite dining menus with an enhanced and extensive array of elegantly presented gourmet dishes, curated by the line’s team of highly skilled chefs.  The new menus will debut on Seabourn Venture’s June 18, 2023 voyage, and will extend to the line’s fleet of intimate, yacht-like ships by October 2023.
• Offering a diverse array of dishes, guests can enjoy these culinary delights either on their own or share the experience with loved ones and fellow travelers. Whether dining inside their suites or on their private veranda, guests can indulge in exceptional cuisine while enjoying breathtaking views from around the world.
• The new in-suite dining menus were developed in partnership with Master Chef and Culinary Consultant Chef Anton Egger, and Senior Corporate Chef Franck Salein. Together with the line’s highly skilled culinary team, they curate Seabourn’s world-class dining that rivals the finest restaurants anywhere.
• By adding a selection of new dishes, Seabourn has expanded the variety of the in-suite menu that caters to every taste and preference. The new menu includes lighter and fresher vegetarian and vegan dishes, such as Rustic Garden Vegetable Minestrone a la Genovese, Franck’s Riviera Style Vegetable Tartine, and “Fregola con Melanzane” Sardinian Tomato Fregola Pasta & Oven Roasted Purple Eggplant Confit. There will also be classic and traditional dishes with a twist, including Crispy Skin Fresh Alaskan Salmon Fillet, Thyme Roasted Jidori Chicken Breast, and Oven Roasted Free Range Chicken Sausage Casserole. In addition, there will be delicious dessert options to satisfy the sweet tooth, such as Tony’s Childhood Banana Split and Black Forest Sundae.
• In addition to the new in-suite dining menu, Seabourn will continue to provide its signature in-suite breakfast options. During dinner hours, guests may also order from The Restaurant for course-by-course service in their suite or on their private veranda.

Heritage Line – Upper Mekong

• Guests sailing on board luxury Southeast Asian river cruise specialist Heritage Line’s first-ever Upper Mekong voyage from 27 – 30 August 2023 will be treated to a very special three-country themed celebratory sailing on board brand-new boutique vessel Heritage Line ANOUVONG – featuring a raft of complimentary benefits, additional value, and a rare insight into one of the world’s most remote yet enchanting waterways.
• Deluxe inclusions only available during this exceptional four-day, three-night inaugural voyage include a welcome champagne reception; complimentary non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks package; bar and lounge snacks; daily sunset happy hour; one free mini-bar; unique alfresco culinary events and full board dining; transfers to and from the ship; an insightful lecture from expert host Francis Engelmann; discounted spa treatments; daily guided shore excursions – and an exclusive personal gift. In addition, each day of the cruise will see travellers immersed into the culture, cuisine, and history of each of the countries making up the famed Golden Triangle – Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar.
• Departing from UNESCO World Heritage-listed Luang Prabang on 27 August 2023, this distinctive, valued-packed itinerary meanders along this less discovered, scenic river exploring the culture and intriguing daily rituals of ancient villages which can only be experienced via intimate vessels such as the custom-designed Heritage Line ANOUVONG.  
• ANOUVONG boasts the most spacious accommodation of any vessel sailing the Upper Mekong, with all 10 elegant staterooms and Signature Suites with Jacuzzis showcasing a bespoke design, replete with traditional Laotian handicrafts and textiles, one-of-a-kind artworks, and French-inspired accents.