Aida Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, MSC and Royal Caribbean International (RCI) have become the latest companies to cancel stops in Russia.

One of P&O Cruises Australia’s favourite captains is set to retire after a 42-year career at sea

• Captain Boon is currently in command of Pacific Adventure as the cruise line awaits the restart of operations in Australia.
• In nearly 10 years at P&O, Captain Boon won the love and respect of guests and crew alike for his leadership and his down-to-earth human touch.
• And he, in turn, has said that his years with P&O were the happiest of his long career as a seafarer.
• On popular Christmas cruises, Captain Boon loved nothing better on Christmas Eve than to be reading Yuletide stories to his younger guests as they experienced the joys of a Christmas at sea.
• Captain Boon was also with P&O for some landmark events including Pacific Dawn’s inaugural cruise to Papua New Guinea in 2013 and the Five-Ship Spectacular as the fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in formation in November 2015. 
• Captain Boon is planning for a busy retirement in his beloved Yorkshire Dales devoting time to beekeeping, learning the art of rock wall building and volunteering in his community.

Vista Floated out for Oceania Cruises  

• Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary and destination-focused cruise line, celebrated the float-out of its new 67,000 tonne, 1,200 guest Vista on 25 February  at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Italy, bordering the famed seaport of Genoa. Shortly after the ceremony, held in full compliance with current health regulations, the massive building dock began filling with water and Vista became one with the sea for the very first time.
• Vista will sail her gala maiden voyage from Rome to Barcelona on 14 April  2023 followed by twelve additional European voyages prior to commencing sailings from the United States to the Canadian Maritimes and New England, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean.
• Vista Highlights
  • 12 dining options, four of them brand new
  • 1,200 guests served by 800 crew members = two crew members for every three guests
  • The most spacious standard Staterooms at sea – more than 26 square metres
  • All Penthouse Suites and Staterooms feature large bathrooms with oversized rainforest showers
  • All Owner’s, Vista and Oceania Suites feature luxurious soaking tubs
  • Palatial Owner’s Suites and top-of-ship Library styled exclusively in Ralph Lauren Home
  • New Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms for Solo Travellers
  • Eight bars, lounges, and entertainment venues
  • Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center and Aquamar Spa Terrace
  • Staffed Concierge and Executive Lounges for Concierge Staterooms and Suites, respectively

A Wonderous Debut

• Wonder no more, Royal Caribbean International’s highly-anticipated ship, Wonder of the Seas, welcomes its first guests, as it sets course for the Caribbean from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The cruise line invites vacationers of all ages onboard the world’s largest cruise ship to experience the ultimate combination of all-new adventures and Royal Caribbean favorites designed to inspire wonder and awe. Wonder is sailing 7-night Caribbean cruises through April 2022 before heading to Barcelona, Spain, and Rome for a summer in the Mediterranean.

Costa Toscana Inaugural

• Costa Toscana, the newest Italian-flagged ship in the Costa Cruises fleet, will set sail on 5 March, from Savona on her maiden cruise.
• Costa Toscana is a latest-generation ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the most advanced technology currently available in the maritime sector to reduce emissions. Costa Group, the parent company of Italy-based Costa Cruises and Germany-based AIDA Cruises, was the first in the world in the cruise industry to use LNG. The company currently has four ships powered by this technology: AIDAnova, Costa Smeralda, Costa Toscana and AIDACosma.
• Costa Toscana’s first cruise, departing from Savona on March 5, 2022, will include a week-long itinerary visiting Marseille, Barcelona, Valencia, Palermo and Civitavecchia/Rome. Following her debut, the new flagship will remain positioned in the Western Mediterranean until late November. During the summer season she will call at Savona, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Ibiza, Valencia, Marseille, while during the fall season Palma de Mallorca will take Ibiza’s place.
• From summer 2022, the entire Costa fleet will be back in service, with more than 1,800 cruises available and itineraries ranging from 3 to 127 days in length. The company’s ships will visit 179 destinations worldwide, with a completely revamped excursion offer, providing about 1,800 tours.

Silver Origin Christened

• Silversea Cruises, christened Silver Origin on February 25, 2022, during an expedition-inspired ceremony in San Cristobal, the Galápagos Islands. Guests took to the water on Silver Origin‘s Zodiacs, raising a glass as Silversea officially welcomed the ship to its fleet of 10, before Johanna Carrión, esteemed conservationist and permanent resident of the Galápagos Islands, was unveiled as the ship’s Godmother—a selection that underpins Silversea’s long-term commitment to sustainability.
• SILVER ORIGIN: BUILT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND
• Silversea’s first destination-specific ship, the 100-guest Silver Origin was built with the environment in mind to unlock immersive experiences for guests in the Galápagos Archipelago, inspiring travellers to form meaningful connections with the destination. Designed with a focus on the pillars of sustainability, destination on board, expedition experience, authentic local culture, and comfort and service, the all-suite, all-balcony Silver Origin welcomes travellers year-round in the unique archipelago. The ship provides guests with the ultimate destination experience, inspired by Silversea’s accrued expertise and founded on a deep respect for the fragility of the natural environment while maintaining the cruise line’s trademark quality of service. Silver Origin incorporates state-of-the-art technology, including a dynamic positioning system that protects the delicate seabed and an advanced propulsion system. All suites feature a freshwater purification system that significantly reduces plastic bottle usage. Silversea also offers reef-safe sunblock to guests

 Explora Journeys kicks-off 2022 with Coin Ceremony of EXPLORA I and…

• Explora Journeys, the new luxury lifestyle travel brand of the MSC Group, is excited to announce the Coin Ceremony of their first ship EXPLORA I, on 24 February 2022, ahead of the ship’s maiden journey scheduled for May 2023.
• This centuries-old maritime ceremony that dates back to Roman times, reflects the family’s seafaring heritage. Explora Journeys was born from a long-held vision of Pierfrancesco Vago, his wife Alexa and the Aponte/ Vago family. Their nautical heritage of over 300 years coupled with their inspiration and passion for the sea, as well as their innate understanding of luxury, created their mission to define a new category in travel and present an unparalleled ocean escape. EXPLORA I is being constructed in Monfalcone, Italy by Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest ship building groups, in recognition of the family’s Italian roots.
• Construction work commenced on EXPLORA II, the second vessel in Explora Journeys’ fleet of luxury ships, in November 2021 and is due to welcome its first guests in Spring 2024. Two further new ships will join the fleet in 2025 and 2026 as a demonstration of MSC Group’s commitment to establish the Explora Journeys brand, created for the next generation of discerning luxury travellers.
• AND…
• Explora Jouneys has unveiled its first year of Journeys – for its first of four vessels, EXPLORA I from May 2023, with a promise to take its guests to a harmonious mix of both well-known and off the beaten path destinations.
• The Inaugural Journeys Collection covers the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the UK, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the U.S. East Coast, Caribbean, South America and Hawaii.
• Sailings start from 6-night journeys and culminate in a 44-night Grand Journey – EXPLORA I, in its inaugural year, will visit 132 ports in 40 different countries, including two destinations, Kastellorizo, Greece and Saint Pierre, Martinique that have not been visited by cruise ships before.

In Search of Elusive Small Islands of the World

• Coral Expeditions, Australia’s pioneering small ship cruise line, today released their 2022 and 2023 expedition schedule including a return to their Small Islands of the World series. The season is headlined by five epic new voyages that see Coral Geographer sail from Australia all the way across the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean to the fabled isles at the edge of Africa – Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Zanzibar.
• Coral Expeditions led the return to operations for the cruise industry in Australia through 2020 and 2021 with the implementation of their SailSAFE health protocols at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, operating over 100 successful domestic voyages since October 2020. Now, with greater confidence, improved global health protocols and the re-opening of borders, Coral Expeditions is once again returning to international voyages. The release of these voyages features some favoured destinations such as New Zealand and the Spice Islands along with new adventures. 
  • To South Sulawesi & Borneo for Christmas | Broome –Singapore | 17 Nights > Departing 13 Dec ‘22
    
  • Island Traditions to the Edge of Africa | Singapore – Seychelles | 25 Nights > Departing 8 Jan ‘23
    
  • The Seychelles, Madagascar & Reunion | Seychelles –Mauritius | 15 Nights > Departing 3 Feb ‘23
    
  • Africa’s Frontier Islands | Mauritius – Zanzibar | 17 Nights > Departs 19 Feb ‘23
    
  • A Navigation Voyage: Across the Indian Ocean | Zanzibar – Fremantle | 19 Nights > Departs 8 Mar ‘23

Princess Personalised Medallions

• A new licensing agreement between Princess Cruises and NBA and WNBA Properties means basketball fans can now proudly showcase their favorite NBA and WNBA teams during their MedallionClass vacation.
• The addition of the NBA/WNBA customizations gives guests more than 175 Medallion options to show off their personalities on their Princess MedallionClass cruise across a variety of categories including celebrations, birthstones, destination landmarks, domestic pets, traveler flags, zodiac signs, and more. Customizations are $5 and are ordered pre-cruise through the MedallionClass app.

Carnival releases additional itineraries into 2024 (on the re-assigned ships).

• Carnival Cruise Line continues to implement its ship deployment changes announced earlier in February, with ship and homeport assignments extended into 2023 and 2024, including:
• Carnival Elation – Jacksonville
  Carnival Elation, previously announced as moving to Jacksonville, Fla., will continue service of 4- and 5-day sailings formerly assigned to Carnival Ecstasy. Itineraries for additional cruise vacations from Jacksonville will soon be open into 2024.
• Carnival Freedom – Port Canaveral
  Carnival Freedom, previously announced as redeploying to Port Canaveral, Fla. in April 2022 to replace Carnival Elation, will continue to operate 4- and 5-day itineraries from Port Canaveral and itineraries will soon be open through Apr. 29, 2023.
• Carnival Spirit – Miami and Seattle
  After completing its recently announced summer 2022 season in Alaska, Carnival Spirit will continue to operate 6- and 8-day cruises previously assigned to Carnival Freedom from Miami through Apr. 8, 2023.
• Following the completion of its Caribbean itineraries from Miami, Carnival Spirit will sail a Panama Canal Journeys cruise on Apr. 16, 2023, arriving in Seattle, and will then operate a series of Alaska cruises from May 2, 2023 through Sep. 12, 2023, with those itineraries to be open for sale soon.
• While Carnival completes the swap of existing reservations to the new ship assignments and provides equivalent accommodations, the itineraries will remain closed for sale, and reservations will not be accessible for up to three weeks.

Cruise Ship Mingle

• An Online Dating Platform for Cruise Hookups and Dating, Is Offering Discreet Services on Cruise Ships Around the World.
• The platform allows individuals to reach potential love interests before they embark on cruises, facilitating communication and interactions with hookup and dating prospects
• The Dating Platform that specializes in connecting Cruise Goers for Amazing Hookups, Dating, Cruise swinging & other Cruise fun adventures. With an inbuilt massager and Live Chat capability, members can discreetly send and receive messages to and from people they decide to communicate with.