STOWAWAY Luxury and boutique small ship news for discerning travellers July 2018 Issue 14

We could add a subtitle to this issue of Stowaway. The Good Food Cruise Guide, (our revered editor wanted to call it Sail & Scoff and was swiftly ejected from the editorial meeting) with news from Oceania Cruises, , Fred. Olsen Cruises and Regent Seven Seas on new restaurants and innovative menus.

But it’s not all about dining. There’s a look at Silversea’s new Worldwide Voyages 2019 cruise programme and news too of a Captain Cook exhibition sponsored by Ponant plus two ship profiles, AMALotus and Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas.

Food for thought Seabourn’s new ultra luxury ship Seabourn Ovation, which recently entered service, features a new open air restaurant experience ‘Earth & Ocean at The Patio’ where consideration for décor and table settings as well as international dishes are part of an innovative design concept. Early information mentions dish served in iron skillets and Moroccan tagines, to include brochettes, quick fired beef dishes and Chinese style filled bao buns. The new restaurant concept will be rolled out across the entire fleet by Spring 2019. Seabourn’s Earth & Ocean at The Patio restaurant aboard the new Meanwhile Oceania’s twin Seabourn Ovation flagships Marina and Riviera are expanding their Culinary Center At Sea concept, with individual cooking work stations where guests are guided by experienced chefs and restaurateurs in their cooking skills. Regional dishes will include the dishes of Turkey, Greece and Morocco, cooking grills and fish as well as simple dishes such as crepes and healthy choices. Other focus programmes will include the dishes of Spain, Sicily and Asia. Oceania’s Culinary Centre at Sea is available on the Marina and Riviera Luxury and boutique small ship news for discerning travellers July 2018 Issue 14

Fred. Olsen’s 880 guest Boudicca has introduced, Finally as part of the major refit of Regent Seven as part of a major refit and upgrade, The Indian Seas’ Seven Seas Mariner, the existing Signatures Ocean Restaurant (below), following the Restaurant has been replaced by Chartreuse successful introduction of The Orchid Room (below), focusing on contemporary French menus, on sister ship Black Watch. Boudicca also now while the Compass Rose main restaurant and features The Oriental Tea Room, serving exotic Prime 7 steakhouse have been entirely redesigned, teas and Oriental specialties. all to align the ship with the innovative design of the line’s flagship .

Silversea goes global Silver Shadow too sails from Hong Kong and Singapore Silversea’s Worldwide Voyages to summer in the programme for 2019 for its five Western Med. Silver classic ultra luxury ships offers Wind begins the year tremendous choice with cruises in the Caribbean before from 14 to 60 days. a programme of no fly cruises from London’s begins the year in Tower Bridge, before Australia, sailing from Sydney sailing on to Reykjavik and and Auckland, then onwards west to Montreal and New with cruises from Bali, York. Singapore and Hong Kong, before repositioning to Tokyo Silver Whisper too has in April then northwards to a summer season in the the Canadian Pacific ports Western Med, following a of Vancouver and Seward. series of voyages between San spends the Francisco, Hawaii, Sydney, Springtime with Caribbean itineraries, Bali and South Africa, ending sailing mostly from Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, the summer with a return to then sailing transatlantic for five weeks in the New York for cruises to Montreal and return. Your Western Med before heading north via Tilbury for agent will have the comprehensive brochure, Copenhagen and Stockholm departures. shown here. Luxury and boutique small ship news for discerning travellers July 2018 Issue 14

SHIP PROFILE

At a glance: AmaLotus APT’s AmaLotus sails the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers between Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia. This is an amazing adventure, a chance to discover life along the river over the course of seven nights and sample the big cities during pre and post-cruise stays in both Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap. She was built in 2011, refurbished in 2016 and holds 108 passengers.

Here are five reasons to cruise on AmaLotus: ● The sun deck is the place to sit and enjoy all-round views but all cabins are above the waterline with balconies that have both indoor and outdoor seating so you never have to miss the views. For a treat there are large suites and even an Owner’s Suite with a separate bedroom and sitting area.

● Over the course of seven nights you’ll ride in rickshaws, oxcarts and tuk-tuks, see floating markets, be blessed by monks and learn the art of silk weaving. Those feeling brave can munch the local KFC (spoiler alert: that’s Khmer Fried Cricket) and sip rice wine flavoured by snakes.

● The food in the restaurant is exceptional, especially the broths served in the action stations, but don’t miss dining in Indochine, a small restaurant with a menu created by Australian Vietnamese chef Luke Nguyen. The food is delicious (think roast pork belly with pickled vegetables and tea-smoked duck with red cabbage) and there’s no charge but you do need to book.

● You’ll come across Luke again in Ho Chi Minh City, where APT treats everyone to a degustation dinner at his fabulous restaurant, Vietnam House, while keen cooks can join a hands-on lesson in how to prepare Vietnamese food in Grain, his cookery school.

● APT includes everything in the cost of the cruise, from the flights and transfers to the meals, excursions, drinks and tips. There are also memorable Signature experiences (that dinner at Vietnam House, trips to the Cu Chi Tunnels or a memorial service at the site of the 1966 Battle of Long Tan, and watching sun rise over Angkor Wat in Siem Reap in Cambodia) and unlimited free WiFi. Luxury and boutique small ship news for discerning travellers July 2018 Issue 14

SHIP PROFILE

At a glance: Symphony of the Seas Royal Caribbean International’s new Symphony of the Seas, aka the world’s biggest , accommodates up to 6,680 passengers, has 22 places to eat, more pieces of art than the Louvre in Paris and enough activities to keep the itchiest of feet busy including a zipwire, laser tag, ice- skating, a spa and sports bar-cum-games arcade. She is spending her inaugural summer sailing the Mediterranean and moves to her new home in Miami in October.

Here are five reasons to cruise on Symphony of the Seas.:

● Hooked Seafood is a new restaurant serving everything from raw oysters to king crab legs and a catch of the day. It’s open for lunch on sea days and every evening, prices $19 and £39 per person respectively. If you’re not the fishy type, don’t worry. Chops Grill steakhouse, Asian Izumi, posh 150 Central Park and the casual Mexican fare served in Loco Fresh are bound to appeal.

● Switch the laser guns to stun and zap a few aliens in the newest fun activity to hit the high seas. Laser Tag is in the ice-skating rink and free for all to join in. Once that’s ticked off, how about taking on the Perfect Storm trio of water slides, relaxing in Central Park or whizzing across the Boardwalk on a zipwire.

● Treat the kids to a week in the Ultimate Family Suite. Spread over two decks, it has a slide from the children’s bedroom to the living room, a hot tub and climbing frame on the balcony, a Lego wall and TVs galore. Unfortunately there is only one and it is in big demand so book fast.

● There’s beer, burgers and sports galore in Playmakers, a new bar on the Boardwalk with 40 TVs tuned into live sporting events from around the world. If you prefer to play rather than watch, there’s an arcade with Star Wars Battle Pod, Pacman and other games.

● Royal Caribbean does love its quirks and there are plenty to look out for including a Bionic Bar where cocktails are mixed by robots, stairs that play a tune as you walk up them (sadly you can’t pick the tune!), pictures that are painted before your very eyes and even a giant whale swimming beneath the ice in the skating rink. Intrigued? Then get on board to find out more! Luxury and boutique small ship news for discerning travellers July 2018 Issue 14

James Cook revisited JAMES COOK Cruise Diary 2018/2019/2020, detailing The Voyages both the world’s most stimulating French cruise line Ponant are Exhibition open 27 April – 28 August 2018 destinations and the specially designed sponsoring ‘James Cook, The and equipped ships accessing them. Voyages’, an exhibition at The British Library in London’s Euston Road, to mark 250 years since Cook’s vessel Endeavour first sailed from Plymouth. The exhibition features original maps

‘A View i n Ship Cove’, No otka Sound, Western Can ada by John Webber and handwritten documents, , 1778. Members go free together with images of people and landscapes#BLCookVoyages encountered on the ship’s journeys and is open Supported by until 28th August this year.

The exhibition coincides with the entry into service of Le Lapérouse, the first of Ponant’s six new Explorer Class ships, each featuring just 92 staterooms with either a balcony or private terrace and the new underwater Blue Eye lounge to view sea life. There’s a link to images and to read more about Blue Eye in the Expedition page of out late getaways website www.cruiselates. com where you’ll also find a link to download a hugely informative now journal The Expedition

Anorak’s Corner environmental benefit including low-heat lighting Ship design now incorporates many elements to reduce the work of air conditioning, which focusing on environmental protection, typically itself is now designed to avoid heating unused via fuel efficiency, which means less fuel burned areas on the ship, the re-use of engine exhaust and less gases released – this is part of the design heat to heat water on board and even design using of the new Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the ‘air bubble lubrication’ for the hull in the water to Seas (see the ship report in this issue). There are reduce drag. Royal Caribbean say the ship literally lots of other smaller things which all add up to floats on air!

Next Issue finest and stimulating ships afloat, ocean going That’s it for now although we’re not letting the and rivers. food theme disappear entirely since the next issue of Stowaway will focus on the port of Nice and adjacent port towns along the French Mediterranean coastline, visits to which towns can only (and should!) lead to fine dining. Plus there’s the opportunity to charter a small luxury boat for family and friends on French and Italian waterways, offering the possibility to discuss and plan your own menus with the onboard chef. In the meantime, remember to visit our ‘lates’ website www.cruiselates.com for last minute getaways on many of the very