a year afloat - Travel Weekly

DESTINATIONS — CRUISE
Also in
Destinations
EUROPE
CRUISE
PAGE 77
Jane Archer takes a look at all
the headline launches and events
across the cruise sector in 2014
C
RUISE
S
PE
A YEAR AFLOAT
G
et your 2014 diaries at the ready because it’s time for
our annual look at what’s tipped to be making cruise
news this year. As always, it’s a packed calendar, with new
ships, river cruise boats and fresh itineraries that promise
to excite the saltiest of sea dogs.
One of the highlights of the year has already happened.
As you read this, Norwegian Getaway will be getting ready
for an inaugural cruise across the Atlantic after a two-night
stay in Southampton – but there are plenty more marquee
events to look forward to, including more maiden visits at
Southampton, birthdays, anniversaries,
C IA
L E D ITI O
N
and new rivers opening up. There are also nearly 30 river
cruise boats launching, including 14 from Viking River
Cruises, two from Tauck and Riviera Travel’s new William
Shakespeare, which starts sailing on the Rhine on June 5.
Clia UK & Ireland has its regular Selling Cruise convention
in May, and is organising a new UK-based river cruise event
for spring, with dates yet to be finalised.
The following prices are per person with flights for the date
specified unless otherwise noted.
.co.uk/de
travelwe ekly
st inat ion s
16 January 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 53
l FEBRUARY
What’s new? Norwegian Getaway
will be christened by the Miami
Dolphins cheerleaders on February
7 before setting sail on its maiden
Eastern Caribbean cruise from its
home port in Miami on February 8.
How much? From £1,284 for
seven nights.
ncl.co.uk
l MARCH
What’s new? Rowing gold
medallist Katherine Grainger
will christen Avalon Waterways’
new all-suite Avalon Poetry II in
Dordrecht, Holland, on March 22,
in a dual naming ceremony with
sister ship Avalon Impression.
How much? From £2,706 for a
seven-night Legendary Danube
cruise from Nuremberg to
Budapest departing June 26 with
three days in Prague, including
transfers, shore excursions,
drinks with dinner and gratuities.
avaloncruises.co.uk
What’s new? AmaWaterways’
new AmaReina sets off on its
maiden cruise on March 16 – a
15-day voyage from Amsterdam
to Budapest. Part-way through,
on April 4, it will be christened in
Vilshofen in Germany.
How much? From £1,787 cruiseonly for a seven-night Enchanting
Rhine cruise from Basel to
Amsterdam departing November
16, including shore excursions
and drinks with lunch and dinner.
amawaterways.co.uk
What’s new? Viking River Cruises’
new Viking Hemming and Torgil
enter service on the Douro on
March 21. The following day
Viking Forseti sets off on its
maiden voyage on the company’s
new Heart of Bordeaux cruises.
How much? From £2,095 for seven
nights on Viking Forseti, including
transfers, shore excursions and
wine with lunch and dinner.
vikingrivercruises.co.uk
d!
a car
Sendn Mar y 2
Q uee 0 years
is 1 n May.
o ld i ty in
Par mpton
a
So uth
ew
of nnts...
s
d
e
Loaelopm ok a
devust bot Cliae
m ce a ruis
plaling C tion
Sel onven
C
ata
AmaSon
e
mak s
mai denin
voyage
April
...
Br r r rr
al
t
s
u
A
’
L
o the
t
s
d
hea chatka
Kam sula in
Penintember
Sep
including UK and overseas
transfers, shore excursions, drinks
and gratuities.
titantravel.co.uk
What’s new? AmaWaterways’
new AmaSonata sets sail on a
seven-night Tulip Time cruise
through Holland and Belgium on
April 23. It’s the ship’s maiden
voyage, but the christening won’t
be until July 22, in Vilshofen,
Germany.
How much? From £1,974 cruiseonly round-trip from Amsterdam
on April 23 including shore
excursions and drinks with meals.
amawaterways.co.uk
l MAY
What’s new? Cunard’s three
Queens will be in Southampton
on May 9 to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of Queen Mary 2. The
birthday girl departs that night on
an anniversary cruise to New York.
How much? From £1,229
including one-way flight.
cunard.co.uk
What’s new? Cruise & Maritime
54 • travelweekly.co.uk — 16 January 2014
Voyages’ new river cruise
programme starts on May 19
with a one-week voyage from
Nuremberg to Amsterdam. Seven
cruises are offered in May and June
on the 164-passenger Vienna I.
How much? From £1,199
including transfers, excursions
and drinks with lunch and dinner.
cruiseandmaritime.com
What’s new? Regal Princess sets
off on a one-week maiden
cruise from Venice to Piraeus
(for Athens) on May 20. Ship
details, page 56.
How much? From £1,382 cruiseonly.
princess.com
What’s new? The Clia UK &
Ireland Selling Cruise Convention
is in Southampton on May 22 and
23. Day one is devoted to business
sessions and a trade show, day
two to ship visits. Additional
optional ship visits are available
on May 24.
How much? £50, increasing to
£65 from the beginning of March.
cruiseexperts.org
l JUNE
What’s new? Azamara Club
Cruises’ Azamara Journey sets
off on an 11-night Memories of
Second World War cruise from
Lisbon to Hamburg on June 3. The
ship will visit Cherbourg on June 6,
the 70th anniversary of the D-Day
Landings, for excursions to the
landing beaches.
How much? From £2,869 cruiseonly.
azamaraclubcruises.co.uk
What’s new? Oceania Cruises’
Insignia will be rechristened in
Istanbul on June 11, at the start
of a 10-day cruise from the Turkish
city to Piraeus. The ship has been
sailing as Columbus 2 for HapagLloyd Cruises for two years.
How much? From £1,529
including gratuities, unlimited
internet and £400 credit per cabin.
oceaniacruises.com
l JULY
What’s new? Louis Cruises is
offering three, four and sevennight island-hopping cruises
around Greece on Louis Cristal.
How much? From £269 cruise-only
for three nights in July and August.
louiscruises.com
l AUGUST
What’s new? Swan Hellenic is
celebrating its 60th anniversary
with a 15-day cruise around the
Greek Isles departing August 13.
How much? From £3,250
including transfers, shore
excursions and gratuities.
swanhellenic.com
What’s new? SeaDream Yacht
Club will be sailing its first roundtrip cruise from the UK. The
14-night Baltic Capitals cruise
departs Dover on August 16.
How much? From £5,468 cruiseonly including drinks and gratuities.
seadream.co.uk
l SEPTEMBER
What’s new? Paul Gauguin
Cruises president Diane Moore
and chairman Richard Bailey are
co-hosting a 10-night Society
Islands and Tuamotus Reunion
cruise on Paul Gauguin departing
September 10.
How much? From £5,153
including drinks and gratuities.
pgcruises.com
What’s new? Compagnie du
Ponant’s L’Austral is visiting
Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on
a 14-night cruise from Anadyr to
Petropavlovsk on September 15.
Highlights include a helicopter ride
over the Valley of Geysers.
How much? From €10,689
including drinks.
ponant.com
l OCTOBER
What’s new? Royal Caribbean
International’s Oasis of the Seas
is in Southampton on October 15.
The giant sails at midnight on a
12-night transatlantic cruise to
Fort Lauderdale.
How much? From £1,760 cruiseonly.
cruisingpower.co.uk
l NOVEMBER
What’s new? Royal Caribbean
International’s Quantum of the
Seas departs Southampton for a
maiden cruise to New Jersey on
November 2. Ship details, page 56.
How much? From £1,540 cruiseonly.
cruisingpower.co.uk
What’s new? Costa Cruises’ Costa
Diadema sets off on a five-night
maiden voyage from Venice to
Savona on November 5. Ship
details, page 56.
How much? From £329 cruiseonly.
costacruises.co.uk
What’s new? Thomson Cruises’
Thomson Celebration departs
Malaga on November 15 for a
15-night transatlantic voyage to
Barbados and a new winter season
of Caribbean cruises.
How much? From £1,369
including transfers and gratuities.
thomson.co.uk/cruises
l DECEMBER
What’s new? Sanctuary Retreats
starts sailing the Ayeyarwady in
Burma on December 3, on the
48-passenger Sanctuary Ananda.
How much? From £1,368 cruiseonly for three nights including
sightseeing and selected drinks.
sanctuaryretreats.com
▲
l APRIL
What’s new? Uniworld River
Cruises launches a Bordeaux,
Vineyards and Chateaux cruise
on the Gironde, Garonne and
Dordogne rivers on April 6. The
seven-night round-trip voyages on
River Royale leave from Bordeaux
How much? From £2,619
Diary
DESTINATIONS — CRUISE
16 January 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 55
DESTINATIONS — CRUISE
NEW SHIPS FOR 2014
Norwegian Getaway
Regal Princess
Quantum of the Seas
This year might not break any
records in terms of the number
of new ships launching, but
with four vessels that between
them have capacity for more
than 15,500 passengers and
fun features including dodgems,
water slides and pizza bars,
there’s a lot to look forward to.
l Norwegian Getaway
Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line
Vital statistics: Launched
January 14; 146,000 tons;
4,000 passengers.
A shrine to its year-round home
in Miami, Norwegian Getaway
has bars and restaurants with a
tropical South Florida feel and
an Ice Bar with an Ocean Drive
skyline. Look out for water slides, a
ropes course and The Waterfront
with seaside restaurants and bars.
There’s a new dinner and magic
Costa Diadema
show, Grammy Experience and
Broadway show Legally Blonde.
Find it: Sailing seven-night Eastern
Caribbean cruises from Miami.
From £1,284 including flights
departing February 28.
ncl.co.uk
l Regal Princess
Cruise line: Princess Cruises
Vital statistics: Launches May 20;
142,229 tons; 3,560 passengers.
Regal Princess shares many of
the features that debuted on
Royal Princess in 2013, including a
glass-bottomed SeaWalk over the
side of the ship, VIP cabanas in
the adult-only Sanctuary, a large
piazza atrium with entertainment,
bars and cafes, and Chef’s
Table Lumière, where diners are
shrouded in a curtain of lights.
Find it: Sailing in the
Mediterranean in summer
56 • travelweekly.co.uk — 16 January 2014
and the Caribbean from Fort
Lauderdale in winter. From
£1,004 cruise-only for a seven-day
cruise from Venice to Barcelona
departing June 2.
princess.com
l Quantum of the Seas
Cruise line: Royal Caribbean
International
Vital statistics: Launches
November 2; 167,800 tons;
4,180 passengers.
This is a new class of ship for Royal
Caribbean, which means another
bundle of firsts. Look out for a
skydiving simulator, dodgem cars,
roller skating, inside cabins with
virtual balconies and Two70º,
a huge lounge with sea views by
day and entertainment by night.
Find it: Sailing to the Bahamas
and Caribbean from New Jersey.
From £1,536 cruise-only for 10
nights departing December 12.
royalcaribbean.co.uk
l Costa Diadema
Cruise line: Costa Cruises
Vital statistics: Launches
October 30; 132,500 tons;
3,724 passengers.
Costa’s chief executive officer
Michael Thamm said at the
ship’s November float-out that
he was not interested in the UK.
Pity, since Costa Diadema has
some nice touches, including
an outdoor promenade with
dining and shops, a pizzeria and
Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant,
and the Portobello Market
shopping area.
Find it: Sailing seven-night trips
around the western Med from
Savona. From £459 cruiseonly departing November 12.
costacruises.co.uk