Princess Cruises Extends Pause of Cruise Vacations in Australia Through Mid-January 2022

• Princess Cruises, is extending its pause in cruise vacations in Australia/New Zealand to January 27, 2022, due to the uncertainty around the return of cruising in the region.
• As a result of the pause extension, Coral Princess voyages through January 17 are cancelled and Royal Princess and Sapphire Princess seasons through to March 2022 are being cancelled.

P&O Cruises Australia Extends Cruising Pause Until Mid-January 2022

• P&O Cruises Australia today extended its pause in operations for cruises departing from Sydney and Brisbane by a further month until mid January next year to give guests greater confidence in planning their Christmas and New Year holidays because of the uncertainty around the return of cruising.
• The voluntary pause will apply to cruises scheduled to depart from 18 December, 2021 through to 14 January, 2022 (for Brisbane) and 18 January, 2022 (for Sydney).
• P&O Cruises Australia also confirmed it was cancelling its Melbourne summer season, which was no longer feasible to deliver because of the latest extension.

Carnival Australia alse extends pause until Mid-January 2022.

• In line with guidance from the Australian Government, Carnival Cruise Line is extending its pause in operations for Australian sailings through 16 January 2022 for Carnival Spirit and Carnival Splendor.

Celebrity Edge will be making its first trip into the Southern Hemisphere to debut Down Under in Australian and New Zealand waters for the 2023/24 season

• Celebrity Cruises today announced plans for its revolutionary Celebrity Edge to debut Down Under for the 2023/24 season.
• The brand’s signature Edge Series ship will offer an array of 6- to 13-night itineraries from early December 2023 through to April 2024, designed to immerse guests in the spoils of the stunning coastlines of Australia and neighbouring New Zealand, along with the tropical South Pacific.
• Reigniting guests’ wanderlust to see the world again, guests will be able to select from 12 bespoke itineraries visiting an impressive collection of 22 ports with departures from both Sydney and Auckland.
• Highlights of Celebrity Cruises’ upcoming 2023/24 season Down Under include:
  • Uniquely themed itineraries including ‘Sun and Beach Escapes’, ‘Food and Wine Classics’, and ‘Five Star Getaways’, providing deeper immersion into the region’s unique culture, brought to life through enhanced onboard and shoreside programming.
  • Overnight opportunities in Cairns, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; and Hobart, Tasmania, for guests to take in more of the wonders of the magnificent surroundings.
  • A new port visiting the scenic Kangaroo Island, one of Australia’s most vibrant nature reserves.
  • Every New Zealand sailing exploring both the North and South islands of this incredibly scenic country;
  • A sun-filled South Pacific itinerary transporting guests to some of the world’s most beautiful islands – New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Mystery Island.
• Some of the remarkable features guests of Celebrity Edge can look forward to include:
  • The exclusive The Retreat® with its private restaurant, and exclusive lounge and sundeck available to all suite guests. In addition, a dedicated team of hosts and concierges on-hand 24/7, ensures everything is taken care of while on holiday.
  • Transformational accommodations, from modern two-storey villas with plunge pools to staterooms with Infinite Verandas®, that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living, all carefully curated and designed by the award-winning British designer Kelly Hoppen CBE and featuring Celebrity’s signature eXhale® bedding.
  • The Magic Carpet®, soaring cantilevered above the sea and offering guests uninterrupted vistas while sipping cocktails or having dinner.
  • An unrivaled culinary repertoire of 29 distinct restaurants, bars, and lounges connecting guests to the destinations they will visit like never before. Globally-inspired menus crafted by a Michelin-star chef bring the flavours of the world straight to the plate, providing an epicurean journey unmatched at sea.
  • Eden, spanning three decks and featuring more outward-facing glass than any other room at sea, offers a multi-sensory fusion of one-of-a-kind culinary and entertainment experiences.
  • Wellness woven in throughout the ship experience including: The Spa, a sprawling 22,000 sq. ft. wellness destination offering more than 120 treatments, many inspired by the destinations the ship visits; the SEA Thermal Suite featuring eight distinct rooms including a steam room, float room, salt room, and heated tile loungers, among others; beauty and fitness experiences never before offered at sea including a Kerastase Salon; Peloton bikes and F45 Training.
• Celebrity Edge goes on sale to the general public on 15 October.

Wonder of the Seas sets course for U.S and Europe

• Paving the way for the biggest adventure yet, Royal Caribbean International has announced the world’s largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas, will debut in the U.S. and Europe. The highly anticipated ship is set to sail from its home in Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean on March 4, 2022, before making its way to Barcelona and Rome to kick off summer vacations in May. Families and travellers alike have a new wave of possibilities across Wonder’s eight distinct neighbourhoods, an Oasis Class first, that include all-new features such as the Suite Neighbourhood, a cantilevered pool bar named The Vue, and Wonder Playscape – an interactive, open-air kids’ play area with awe-inspiring views. With returning favourites also on deck, like The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; Central Park, the neighbourhood filled with real plants from end to end; and the vibrant Caribbean-inspired pool deck experience, the innovative, new ship invites adventurers of all ages to reimagine, explore and make memories once again.
• New Adventures and Favourites Gone Bolder
  • Suite Class Neighbourhood – The eighth neighbourhood, only found on Wonder, offers Royal Suite Class guests an elevated Suite Sun Deck in a new location, complete with a plunge pool, bar and plenty of loungers and nooks to kick back; along with favourites such as Coastal Kitchen, the private restaurant, and the Suite Lounge. Plus, the grandest Ultimate Family Suite yet for a family of 10.
  • Wonder Playscape – Joining the line-up of next-level thrills for kids, the underwater-themed play area is a whole new adventure with slides, climbing walls, games, an interactive mural activated by touch and puzzles that will make them wonder if any playground will ever be the same.
  • The Vue – The happiest of happy hours can be found at this new cantilevered bar.
  • The Vue offers panoramic ocean views from high above on the pool deck all day, and after sunset, it shines bright with a colourful mosaic canopy overhead.
  • Pool deck experience – The Lime & Coconut is at the centre of the Caribbean vibes, with two poolside bars and live music; while the trio of high-speed waterslides, The Perfect Storm, and kids aqua park Splashaway Bay, keep the young and young at heart entertained. Casitas, in-pool loungers and more make for a variety of great places to kick back, especially to catch a movie under the stars at the largest poolside movie screen in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

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• At the heart of every Oasis Class ship is a combination of unmatched signature features and experiences found from one neighbourhood to the next, including the tallest slide at sea, The Ultimate Abyss; the newly designed, dedicated kids and teens spaces at Adventure Ocean, Social100 and The Patio; the FlowRider surf simulator, twin rock-climbing walls and the ten-decks-high zip line. From riding the carousel in the family favourite Boardwalk neighbourhood – inspired by renowned boardwalks like Coney Island – to fine dining in Central Park, and the variety of restaurants and showstopping entertainment in between, no day on board will be the same.

Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway return to service in the Mediterranean.

• A third of NCL’s fleet of 17 ships are now back in operation, welcoming guests back on board after the Company’s more than 500-day cruise suspension.
• Norwegian Epic, the fourth ship in the Company’s fleet to resume operations, successfully completed her first voyage to the most sought-after ports in Spain and Italy from Barcelona. During the 7-day sailing, Norwegian Epic called to Livorno, the gateway to the Renaissance heritage of Tuscany and Florence, Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples, Cagliari (Sardinia) and Palma (Mallorca).
• Meanwhile, Norwegian Getaway today embarks on her first voyage from Rome (Civitavecchia). Through 25 October, she will sail a mix of 10- to 11-day Greek Isles itineraries, calling to Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon – NCL’s newest embarkation port located on the Peloponnese peninsula –Santorini, Mykonos, Naples and Livorno (Florence/Pisa). With up to 13 hours in each port and no more than two days at sea, guests can spend their days exploring ancient ruins and medieval architecture or simply savouring a variety of the region’s famous cuisine.

Norwegian Prima breaks boundaries

• Norwegian Cruise Line, has raised the curtains to unveil its upcoming multifaceted entertainment and onboard experiences available on Norwegian Prima, the Brand’s most in-demand ship ever.
• Thrilling Experiences
• For the most extreme adrenaline rush at sea, Norwegian Prima will debut The Drop, the world’s first freefall dry slide where users will experience a 10-story plunge reaching the highest G-forces of any cruise line; more Gs than an accelerating F1 racecar, leaving racer’s hearts with the thrill of a lifetime. The edge-of-your-seat experience takes a competitive turn with The Rush, featuring dueling dry slides where guests can race each other for the ultimate in bragging rights.
• As the only Cruise Line to offer go-karts at sea, NCL will up the ante on Norwegian Prima, offering the largest and first ever three-level racetrack with the Prima Speedway. Featuring a longer straight section or stretch with a racetrack of more than 420 metres and 22 percent larger than the current racetrack on Norwegian Encore, the speedway will now go around and through the funnel of the ship and boasts 14 nail-biting turns where 15 drivers can simultaneously race on the open ocean, reaching speeds of more than 50 kph. After racers have completed their ultimate thrill ride, they can unwind at the new Prima Speedway Bar located beneath the racetrack.
• The Brand’s popular indoor virtual gaming complex, The Galaxy Pavilion, levels up to offer guests 14 attractions to choose from, including four new hyper-immersive simulator experiences only available on Norwegian Prima, two different escape rooms, and a Topgolf Swing Suite, showcasing the only Topgolf Swing Suite available at sea. The Topgolf Swing Suite delivers an immersive gaming and social experience, featuring a variety of Topgolf games, world renowned virtual golf courses, and multi-player games.  The Topgolf Swing Suite is powered by Full Swing golf simulator technology, the same simulator used by PGA Tour pros such as Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm.
• Immersive Star Power Entertainment
  • From the powerhouse production team that brought “Jersey Boys” with current residence on Norwegian Bliss, comes “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.” This is the story of Donna Summer’s meteoric rise from young starlet to the Queen of the Disco featuring a score of more than 20 of Summer’s mega disco hits including “Bad Girl,” “Last Dance,” and “Hot Stuff.” The 75-minute immersive production will be a first at sea where the theatre itself transforms into a full disco and guests can become a part of the show and dance to Summer’s all-time disco medleys.
  • Taking guests from the disco glam of “Summer” to the neon lights of “Light Balance Universe” featuring Light Balance, the golden buzzer winner from “America’s Got Talent,” the one-of-a-kind dance crew brings their jaw-dropping visual effects and style to Norwegian Prima.  Guests will experience high-energy choreography and acrobatics while partaking in a multisensory light spectacular.
• Prima Theatre and Nightclub: A Multi-Purpose Masterpiece
  • All of Norwegian Prima’s headlining acts will take centre stage in this groundbreaking transformational theatre. The three-story venue, designed to seamlessly convert the space from a state-of-the art performance stage to expansive dance floor, will feature a customisable seating layout and awe-inspiring moving LED screen that lowers from the ceiling and is nearly half the size of the venue. The extravagant high-energy nightclub’s SENSORIA theme provides clubgoers an out-of-body experience where they can dance late into the night and enjoy a kaleidoscope of high-energy music and innovative special effects.
• Elevated Activities for Every Guest
  • Norwegian Prima will debut The Bull’s Eye, an elevated twist on the classic game of darts featuring a sophisticated video tracking system that automatically calculates each guest’s score and even offers instant game replays to ensure fun, competitive play.
  • NCL will introduce Tee Time, a supercharged version of minigolf, where guests can enjoy nine interactive holes set among a Vegas-style backdrop and even have a chance to win worth-your-while prizes.
  • Making its splashing first appearance on Norwegian Prima as part of the ship’s Aqua Park and Main Pool area, will be the Brand’s first Tidal Wave waterslide featuring gushing surf where guests can ride an innertube to catch the perfect wave. Guests looking to relax can do so in either one of two infinity hot tubs or under the area’s cascading water feature.
  • Vibe Beach Club, NCL’s adult-only area returns on Norwegian Prima providing enhanced experiences including a dedicated bar and two infinity hot tubs where guests can enjoy the ocean’s horizon at leisure.
  • Syd Norman’s Pour House, the onboard guest-favorite classic rock club makes its Rockstar comeback on Norwegian Prima after the concept initially debuted on Norwegian Breakaway in 2018. The venue features a stellar house band playing the greatest rock songs of all time from Aerosmith to Led Zeppelin.
  • There will be laughs on the high seas with The Improv at Sea comedy club showcasing standup performances against an intellectual tongue-and-cheek “Science of Comedy” theme.
  • With voyages beginning in the northern hemisphere summer of 2022, Norwegian Prima will be 294 metres long, more than142,000 gross tons and able to accommodate 3,215 guests at double occupancy.
• The vessel, the first of six ships within NCL’s all-new Prima Class, which debuted with record-breaking sales and applause when it was announced in May earlier this year, reveals Tony Award®-nominated musical “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” as its interactive headlining act. Norwegian Prima will also showcase numerous cruise industry firsts and new-to-brand elevated onboard experiences when the ship sets sail in the northern hemisphere summer of 2022, including the world’s first venue that transforms from a three-story theatre into a Vegas-style nightclub, freefall drop dry slides and the largest racetrack at sea.

Discover ‘Celebrated Cultures & Treasured Temples’ on Crystal’s Epic 2024 World Cruise

• 49 ports, 22 countries, 14 overnight calls and 105 nights of luxury and exploration await
• Crystal Cruises announced its highly anticipated 2024 World Cruise, a 105-night epic adventure aboard Crystal Serenity exploring the Southern Hemisphere and beyond from Miami to Rome, January 5 – April 20, 2024. ‘Celebrated Cultures & Treasured Temples’ marks Crystal’s 27th World Cruise and features a near circumnavigation of the globe with 49 ports of call in 22 countries and destinations including the Panama Canal; Mexico; French Polynesia; the South Pacific; New Zealand; Australia; Indonesia; Sri Lanka; India; the Red Sea, the Suez Canal; and the Mediterranean isles of Cyprus, Crete and Sicily.
• Guests who were booked on Crystal’s cancelled 2022 World Cruise will enjoy an exclusive booking window from September 21 – 30, 2021, and opens for reservations to the public on October 1, 2021.
• World Cruise segments include:
  • Panama Passage, 16 nights – Highlights include Key West, Cartagena’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, a Panama Canal transit, overnights in Panama City and Cabo San Lucas and calls in tropical San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, and Huatulco, Mexico.
  • French Polynesian Perfection, 13 nights – Luxurious days at sea and French Polynesian wonders abound including Nuka Hiva’s towering waterfalls, Rangiroa’s world-class dive sites and Mo’orea’s turquoise lagoons, as well as overnights in idyllic Papeete and Bora Bora.
  • Pearls of the South Pacific, 14-nights – Beginning with an overnight in Papeete, this voyage features the beauty of Polynesia, Rarotonga’s vibrant reefs, the splendor of Fiji, the culture of Tonga, New Zealand’s Bay of Islands, and an overnight in Auckland, “City of Sails.”
  • Fabled Fjords & Māori Majesties, 17 nights – The glacier-carved wonders of Fiordland National Park highlight this voyage featuring calls in Tauranga, Wellington, Picton, Christchurch and Dunedin, New Zealand; and overnights in Napier, New Zealand; and Hobart (Tasmania) and Sydney, Australia.
  • Australian & Indonesian Discovery, 14 nights – An overnight in Cairns, Australia offers Great Barrier Reef adventures while Darwin boasts outdoor pursuits in Kakadu National Park. Komodo Island thrills with its ‘dragons’ and an overnight in Bali reveals mystical temples and lush landscapes.
  • Cultural Kaleidoscope, 13 nights – An overnight in Colombo, Sri Lanka invites options for exotic exploration including the UNESCO-listed Sacred city of Kandy, while overnights in Cochin and Mumbai, India, and calls in Malaysia and Thailand offer incredible temples, wildlife and urban vigor.
  • The Sands of Time, 18 nights – A call in Aqaba, Jordan is a doorway to ancient Petra and Wadi Rum, while sunny Eilat, Israel, tempts with spectacular reefs and jeep tours in the Negev Desert. A Suez Canal transit, calls in Cyprus and Crete and the timeless beauty of Sicily complete the journey.

Fridtjof Nansen named in Svalbard

• Hurtigruten Expeditions’ battery-hybrid powered Fridtjof Nansen (pictured) has been named in the world’s northernmost naming ceremony for a passenger ship. At latitude 78˚ north in Svalbard, the local community joined the celebrations of one of the world’s greenest and most advanced cruise ships. Replacing the traditional bottle of champagne with a chunk of ice, godmothers and environmental advocates
• Hilde Falun Strom and Sunniva Sorby named Fridtjof Nansen, continuing a Hurtigruten ritual invented by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. 
• “It is not my intention to dishonor the glorious grape, but already now you shall get the taste of your real environment. For the ice you have been built, in the ice you shall stay most of your life, and in the ice, you shall solve your tasks,”
• In honouring the cruise line’s century-plus-long Svalbard heritage, Fridtjof Nansen is also the first cruise ship ever to be registered in Longyearbyen.

MSC Bellissima will extend her deployment in Saudi Arabia

• MSC Cruises has announced that MSC Bellissima will extend her deployment in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea for the Northern Hemisphere winter 2021/2022 season, following a highly successful inaugural season in the region this summer.
• MSC Bellissima and the itineraries in this region have proven very popular since she first commenced sailing there this July out of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  MSC Bellissima will replace MSC Magnifica, which was previously scheduled to serve in the region this winter.
• This itinerary for the Northern Hemisphere winter 21/22 is brand new for MSC Cruises and is the first of its kind, offering guests unique opportunities to discover Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan by cruise ship – visiting culturally-rich destinations and unspoiled beaches and giving guests the chance to immerse themselves in the incredible history and tradition of the region.
• From 30 October 2021 MSC Bellissima will offer 7-night cruises from Jeddah, calling at the ports of Ras Al Abyad, Aqaba for Petra in Jordan, Safaga for Luxor in Egypt and then AlWajh and Yanbu, in Saudi Arabia.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises Returns to Sailing

• Regent Seven Seas Cruises® began its first voyage in just under 18 months on September 11, 2021, with new ship Seven Seas Splendor® cruising from Southampton, England. Sailing with the cruise line’s enhanced SailSAFE™ Health and Safety Program – which includes 100% vaccination of both guests and crew – the voyage is believed to be the first to carry international travellers on a UK cruise since the voluntary industry-wide pause in operations began in March 2020.
• The next ship in The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet™ to resume sailing will be Seven Seas Explorer® on October 15, 2021, from Trieste, Italy. Seven Seas Mariner® will resume sailing December 18, 2021, from Miami, Florida, as will Seven Seas Navigator® on January 6, 2022. Finally, Seven Seas Voyager® will return on February 15, 2022 from Barcelona, Spain.

Oceania Cruises Sets A New Single-day Booking Record

• Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line set an all-time single day booking record that surpassed the most recent record by nearly 60%. While the most recent record was for a full season of sailings across six ships, this record was driven by the introduction of one new ship with itineraries for primarily one half of a year. Vista is slated to debut in April 2023, voyages opened for sale on September 15th at 9:00 a.m. eastern and by 10:30 a.m., the number of bookings had surpassed the company’s most recent record which was set in March 2021.
• Nearly half of the available inventory of Vista’s inaugural season was sold in one day with 30% of all bookings coming from new to brand guests. The most in-demand destinations were the British Isles and Canada, the Mediterranean, Holy Lands, and Panama Canal.

Saga’s brand-new river cruise ship ‘Spirit of the Rhine’ departs on inaugural cruise

• September 22, 2022: Saga’s brand-new river cruise ship, ‘Spirit of the Rhine’, has departed on its inaugural 13-night cruise from Trier and will take in the beautiful Moselle valley and Roman wine towns along the way such as Bernkastel, Traben-Trarbach and Piesport. Guests will have ample opportunity to taste the local grape as the vineyards bring in the local harvest, and will be joined by wine expert Oz Clarke on the tour.
• With a design inspired by the culture and nature found along the Rhine, guests will have access to a range of first-class facilities onboard the ship including a panoramic lounge and bar, an inviting library, fitness area, an expansive sun deck with a hot tub and alfresco barbecue and two restaurants.
• The ship has a maximum capacity of 190 guests who are served by 40 officers and crew. The 95 cabins are spread over four passenger decks and the ship’s bespoke design means the ship will be one of the quietest and most environmentally friendly ships operating on the Rhine
• The Spirit of the Rhine will be joined by sister ship the Spirit of the Danube next year. Designed as a sister ship, the Spirit of the Danube will mirror much of the design of the Spirit of the Rhine, with a design inspired by the sights of the Danube. The ship celebrated its keel laying ceremony this year