NCL Walk for Wellness

• Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is celebrating the kick-off of its second annual Walk for Wellness challenge with over 1,000 agents across Australia and New Zealand registered to participate. NCL is also inviting agents to make time for mindful moments this October with the launch of its very first mindful colouring book for adults.

Carnival announces the introduction of new local seasonal ales to Carnival Splendor

• Saying cheers to Aussie guests, Carnival Cruise Line today announced the introduction of new seasonal ales crafted by Sydney’s own Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel.
• Bringing together flavours and ingredients from around the world, a rotating selection of Lord Nelson ales will be available to quench the thirst of Aussies sailing from Sydney onboard Carnival Splendor.
• Among the selection includes Smooth Sailing session ale, Old Admiral Dark Ale and Hape single hop pale ale.
• Brewed with pilsner malt and American hop varieties, Smooth Sailing session ale is a clean finishing beer, best enjoyed when you’re lying by the pool. Featuring fruit aromatics and a mild bitterness, this easy-drinking ale is the perfect companion to a Guy’s burger (with beetroot, of course).
• Created with Motueka hops from our Kiwi neighbours, Hape single hop pale ale is a malty and refreshing thirst quencher with a fruity citrus aroma. Paired perfectly with a lobster BLT from Seafood Shack, it’s a “sweet as” brew.
• For those craving a full-bodied beer, Old Admiral dark ale is an Aussie take on a British and German malt-driven ale. Best served at room temperature with a juicy steak cooked by Fahrenheit 555, Old Admiral is the ideal introduction for those just beginning their dark beer journey.
• Carnival Cruise Line first partnered with the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel in The Rocks to create an exclusive beer for Australian cruisers – ThirstyFrog Summer Ale – the fan-favourite beverage onboard Australian ships that’s been sampled from Honolulu to Hobart, Alaska to Adelaide and Singapore to Sydney since 2014.

Fly the flag for P&O AU

• Reflecting pent-up guest demand for a return to cruising, P&O Cruises Australia is ramping up its ‘Fly the Flag for P&O’ campaign by streaming a first-of-its-kind interactive event live direct from Pacific Adventure to lounge rooms around the country.
• Packaged in a fast-paced chat show format, the evening event on October 14 will be a virtual take on the home-grown cruise line’s popular entertainment program with family-friendly comedy, music, interviews, celebrities as well as crew and guest appearances.
• P&O Celebrity chef Luke Mangan, top comedian and radio presenter Kat Davidson and award-winning wine maker Glandore Estate’s Duane Roy will appear among big names from the entertainment, travel, and hospitality world.
• The unique show will be hosted by P&O’s popular entertaining duo, Julie and Leeron from onboard the 109,000 tonne Pacific Adventure while she’s docked off the coast of Trieste.
• ‘Fly the Flag for P&O Live’ commences at 7.00pm (AEDT) on Thursday October 14, 2021. For more information visit facebook.com/pocruises.

Swan Hellenic confirms Antarctica cultural expedition cruises

• Swan Hellenic confirmed that its inaugural cruises exploring Antarctica will all be sailing as planned following the Argentinian Government’s recent announcement that the country will reopen from 20th October. As a result, Swan Hellenic will be able to operate from Ushuaia, the home port chosen for the maiden season Antarctic cruises of its purpose-designed new ice-class flagship SH Minerva.
• Two new 5-star polar PC 5 ice-class expedition cruise ships arriving in November 2021 and April 2022 will each accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious staterooms and suites, the majority with large balconies. A larger PC 6 ice-class vessel accommodating 192 guests in 96 staterooms and suites in the same distinctive comfort and style as its sister ships will be arriving year-end 2022.

Singapore to welcome Spectrum of the Seas

• Holidaymakers will have much to celebrate when Royal Caribbean International brings Asia’s largest and most innovative ship to Singapore – Spectrum of the Seas – for the long-awaited comeback of cruising. Travellers can look forward to spectacular 3- to 9-night sailings that will visit Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, starting October 21, 2022. Sailings are now open for bookings.
• Guests onboard Spectrum will savour an exotic array of Asian-inspired cuisine consisting of Teppanyaki and Hot Pot-style dining, as well as an entertainment extravaganza touching on the cultures, colours, music, and dance styles of China, Persia, and India. Spectrum offers the perfect combination of high-tech experiences, providing adventure-loving guests a wealth of onboard experiences:
  • Asia’s first Sky Pad, a virtual reality, bungee trampoline adventure where guests strap in and don a headset to transport themselves to another time and planet.
  • Royal Caribbean’s first and exclusive Suite Enclave, which features the exquisite Royal Suite Class Star, Sky and Sea accommodations in a private area, supremely positioned at the forward end of the ship. Guests booked in these luxury suites have exclusive floor access, an elevator, private restaurants, and a dedicated lounge area.
  • Cutting-edge and transformative venues such as Two70. Boasting stunning 270-degree ocean views by day and transforming into a multidimensional theater by night, this transformative space flaunts six agile Roboscreens, breath taking live performers and mind-bending aerialists to create unimaginable visuals. Meanwhile, SeaPlex, the largest indoor active space at sea, featuring bumper cars, roller skating, laser tag, fencing, archery, and more.
  • Star Moment, a lively and energetic karaoke venue where family and friends can belt out and sing like stars.
  • Spectrum boasts an array of spacious and family friendly staterooms, from exterior balcony staterooms to family friendly interconnected rooms, to the signature two-level Ultimate Family Suite, an expansive, multi-room retreat complete with its own ensuite slide and cinema, which also doubles as a karaoke stage.
  • A bold lineup of signature activities, including the FlowRider surf simulator; the North Star, an all-glass capsule which ascends 300 feet above the ocean, delivering incomparable 360-degree views; and RipCord by iFly, the first sky diving experience at sea.
  • Nineteen distinct dining options serving up flavours from around the world, including Hot Pot, featuring an authentic Chinese dining experience, Teppanyaki, a celebration of authentic oriental flavours cooked in Japan’s traditional teppanyaki style, and Sichuan Red, a new specialty dining experience tailored just for Spectrum, where diners can savour a bold tapestry of authentic spices and Sichuan flavours. Signature classics include imaginative cuisine at Wonderland, top-notch, aged beef at Chops Grille, and authentic rustic fare and handmade pasta at Jamie’s Italian.

Windstar Cruises’ Reimagined Star Legend Makes Debut in Portugal

• Windstar Cruises announces the debut of its all-suite Star Plus Class Star Legend yacht today, sailing from Lisbon on a ten-day voyage to Barcelona stopping at ports including Portimão, Cádiz (overnight), Gibraltar, Málaga (overnight), Cartagena, and Palma de Mallorca. 
• The line’s three all-suite Star Plus Class yachts (Star Breeze, Star Legend, and Star Pride) have been undergoing major transformations, with Star Breeze as the first to launch in June showcasing new suites and expanded outdoor and indoor public spaces. Star Legend is the second of the three yachts to emerge from Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard following the stretch and transformation project. The yachts are also more environmentally friendly with efficient engines, generators, and advanced wastewater treatment systems.
• All three yachts increase in maximum capacity from 212 guests to 312 and provide more of what Windstar’s customers want, like additional dining experiences (one is an outdoor barbecue concept with grilling guru Steven Raichlen and the other a Spanish small plates restaurant from Anthony Sasso, one of the youngest chefs to be recognized by the Michelin Guide), a true spa and fitness center, an elegant infinity pool, and more outdoor deck areas. These three all-suite yachts, together with Windstar’s three classic sailing yachts, remain small enough to continue to visit the special small ports and waterways of the world.
• Five of the line’s six yachts are now back in the water cruising while requiring vaccines of all passengers and crew amongst a host of health and safety precautions including testing, social distancing, masks, and high-tech air filtration.

MSC’s Ocean Cay Marine Reserve welcomes first Loggerhead Turtle Hatchlings

• ​Since August, MSC Cruises has been pleased to see hundreds of tiny Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings making their way to sea from numerous nests that have appeared on Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the Company’s private island. These historic sightings are a culmination of MSC Cruises’ successful project to return the island and its surrounding waters to its former status as a thriving environment for indigenous flora and fauna. Over six nests have been identified so far and are being monitored on the island.
• Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, MSC Cruises’ private island in The Bahamas, is founded on a strong commitment to the conservation of marine life with 64 square miles of protected waters around the island. From its conception, the goal for Ocean Cay was to return the former industrial sand excavation site to its pristine beauty and to attract local species of fauna and flora both on land and in the ocean. Since it opened in late 2019, the island has progressively transformed into a lush tropical paradise with a rich marine ecosystem and proof of the progress of the conservation programme can be seen with the fact that Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings have been observed making their way to sea from nests on the island.
• More than six nests and hundreds of sea turtle hatchlings have been identified on MSC Cruises’ marine reserve private island
• While the successful coral restoration programme has transformed the waters around the former industrial site back into a rich marine ecosystem