CRUISE calendar 2018 destinations CRUISE SP N E O CIAL EDITI k c o t s uter Cruise sh PICTURE: calendar Get a date in your diary for this year’s biggest cruise news, writes Jane Archer

here are some things you w JANUARY and afternoon on six vessels. Tcan rely upon. The sun will What? APT is treating Sample price: From £1,778 for a rise every day, tulips will always passengers cruising the Mekong seven-night Captivating Rhine brighten the Dutch landscape to a complimentary degustation cruise from to Basel come spring and the cruise dinner at Vietnam House, a on AmaPrima, departing March 24. industry will wow us each year restaurant run by Vietnamese with a host of new ships offering celebrity chef and APT What? Disney Cruise Line’s incredible features and exciting ambassador Luke Nguyen. Disney Magic comes out of a itineraries heading to amazing Sample price: A 15-day Vietnam refurb on March 9 with a new places around the world. and Cambodia Highlights cruise teen club, a coffee corner for This year is no exception, with from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh adults and Rapunzel’s Royal more than a dozen ships on the City, departing March 15, starts Table, a restaurant modelled on way, boasting speedy go-karts, at £4,290, including flights. the film Tangled. It is cruising in fairytale restaurants, underwater Europe from May to September. lounges and cabins with infinity w FEBRUARY Sample price: From £2,999 for balconies. Fancy a cruise to the What? Myanmar-based Strand a seven-night Mediterranean South Pole, to admire Canada’s Cruise has lined up a variety of cruise round-trip from Barcelona, fall foliage or to travel around themed river cruises. Clients departing May 26. Australia? All that and more is on will have to be quick to join its way over the next 12 months. the classical music itinerary What? A Mexican diner, And that’s just the ocean- departing in February, but seafood restaurant and two- going ships. River cruise lines are there’s food and photography in level family suite with a slide launching vessels with swimming March and September. between the floors feature on pools, swanky suites and new Sample price: From $1,875 for a the world’s biggest , places to eat across Europe, four-night photography-themed Royal International’s Asia and the US (see p59 for a cruise from Bagan to Mandalay, Symphony of the Seas. rundown of the new river ships). departing March 26. Sample price: From £700 for Our calendar will help you a five-night, pre-opening round- keep abreast of the exciting new w MARCH trip from Barcelona, departing things in store for your clients. What? There’s no excuse March 31. Prices listed are cruise-only for getting out of shape on unless stated otherwise and AmaWaterways river cruises, w APRIL other inclusions might apply. as starting this month, wellness What? Carnival Horizon debuts Contact the cruise lines directly instructors will be holding free with the first teppanyaki dining for more information. keep-fit workouts every morning on a Carnival Cruise Line ship,

50 travelweekly.co.uk 11 January 2018 11 January 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 51 CRUISE calendar 2018 destinations

LEFT: APT ambassador Luke Nguyen

RIGHT: Strand Cruise

BELOW: Norwegian Bliss

a barbecue smokehouse and a Dr What? U by Uniworld, a new river Sample price: From £1,469 for a seven- Seuss-themed water park with Cat’s cruise line for 21 to 45-year-olds, night Alaska Highlights cruise round- Hat and Fun Things flumes. After a few sets sail with two vessels operating trip from Seattle, departing June 2. weeks in Europe, the vessel will sail on the Rhine, Main and Danube, and to New York on May 9, from where it the Seine. There’ll be silent discos, w MAY will operate a season of Bermuda and mixologists and painting classes. What? Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Caribbean cruises. Sample price: From £1,122, based on Princess arrives in Southampton for Sample price: The 13-day inaugural sharing a triple room on a seven-night the summer season. Clients can enjoy cruise round-trip from Barcelona, Seine Experience round-trip from steaks in the Crown Grill and movies departing April 2, starts at £1,399, Paris, departing April 14. under the stars on voyages to the Med including flights. and Canary Islands. What? Norwegian Cruise Line is adding Sample price: From £1,009 for a What? Clia is holding its first Asia some va-va-vroom to Alaska with new 14-day Mediterranean Adventure River Cruise & Destination Forum in Ho ship Norwegian Bliss. The vessel, which cruise round-trip from Southampton, Chi Minh City on April 10-11. After the is visiting Southampton on April 21 departing May 12. business sessions, agents will enjoy a before heading to Seattle, has a three-night cruise on the Mekong. top-deck go-kart race track and will What? takes delivery Sample price: £100 plus VAT. be showing the musical Jersey Boys. of 1,924-passenger Marella Explorer (currently sailing as Tui Cruises’ Mein Schiff )1 after a refit that adds a swanky Champneys spa and food favourites Kora La and the Snack Shack. Sample price: From £1,126 for a one-week maiden Cosmopolitan Classics cruise round-trip from Palma, departing May 19, including flights.

up Clia’s cruise conference opens o What? in Southampton on May 23. The three- lab rn day event includes talks, a workshop o and tours of Princess Cruises’ Royal

h anap Princess and Oceania Cruises’ Marina. ; t ; Agents can opt to stay an extra day line e and tour ’ Celebrity s Silhouette. crui Sample price: £110 plus VAT for Clia members only. The event was almost rwegian

o full as Travel Weekly went to press, but : n :

S a waiting list has been set up.

PICTURE What? A Thomas Keller grill

11 January 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 53 CRUISE calendar 2018 destinations

LEFT: Sapphire Princess

RIGHT: Scenic Eclipse

BELOW: Roald Amundsen

restaurant and exclusive cabanas Zodiacs. Sister ship Le Champlain Iconic Western Mediterranean are highlights on Seabourn’s enters service in September. cruise from Civitavecchia to new 600-passenger Seabourn Roald Amundsen will Sample price: From €4,610 Barcelona, departing July 8. Ovation. The ship is spending its for the seven-night inaugural maiden season sailing the Baltic be the world’s first Icelandic Mosaic cruise round-trip What? Hurtigruten is launching and in the Norwegian fjords. hybrid ship, capable of from Reykjavik, departing June 19. Roald Amundsen, the world’s first Sample price: From £6,499 running on traditional hybrid ship, capable of running for a 14-night Vintage Europe fuel and electric What? Voyages to Antiquity will on traditional fuel as well as cruise from Lisbon to Ijmuiden be dipping into history, culture, electric. Its inaugural sailings will (Amsterdam), departing May 26. castles and geology when it be in Antarctica next winter. launches cruises to Norway. Sample price: From £8,017 for an w JUNE Sample price: From £2,795 per 18-day Antarctica and Falkland What? MSC Seaview, the second between 2004 and 2008 on a person for a 15-day Norwegian Islands cruise round-trip from of MSC Cruises’ Seaside-class Volga Dream river cruise on sale Fjords cruise round-trip from the Chilean capital of Santiago, ships, will be christened in through UK general sales agent Tilbury, departing June 23. departing November 25. Civitavecchia on June 2. It will Fred River Cruises. feature a promenade deck lined Sample price: A 12-night cruise w JULY w AUGUST with bars, restaurants and shops. from St Petersburg to Moscow, What? Viking Cruises is launching What? Scenic is launching its Sample price: From £429 for a departing June 12, starts at £2,995. its fifth ship, the 930-passenger first ocean-going vessel.S cenic five-day cruise from Civitavecchia Viking Orion. The vessel features Eclipse will have all-balcony to Barcelona, departing June 4. What? Le Laperouse will be the all-balcony cabins and suites, an suites, eight places to eat, butlers first of two expedition ships infinity pool, cookery school and for all, a sumptuous spa and offer What? Former diplomat Sir Tony Ponant is launching this year. snow room in which real flakes adventurous voyages with all Brenton will be talking about It will feature a lounge below fall each night. excursions included in the price. his life as British ambassador the water line and a hydraulic Sample price: From £2,490, Sample price: From £3,495, to the Russian Federation platform for easier access to including flights, for an eight-day including flights, for an 11-day

11 January 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 55 destinations calendar 2018 cruise

LEFT: Star Clippers’ yoga- themed cruise

RIGHT: Wellness expert Dr Andrew Weil

cruise from Guayaquil in Ecuador, Sample price: From £5,559 for cocktail reception on a river departing November 14. a 15-night Wonders of Iceland cruise on Serenade 1 to celebrate The Magic Carpet is round-trip from Southampton, the company’s 40th anniversary. What? CroisiEurope is launching departing August 13. Sample price: From £999 for a cruises on the St Lawrence either a speciality five-day Anniversary Cruise from River and Great Lakes on the restaurant or landing w SEPTEMBER Amsterdam to Mainz, departing 68-passenger Jacques Cartier. platform, depending What? Clients can learn to October 27. Clients will visit Montreal, Ottawa on where it is hovering meditate on Star Clippers’ and Niagara Falls, and spend a yoga-themed cruise with expert w NOVEMBER day sailing the Thousand Islands. Helen Noviello. Classes are What? The Caribbean is calling Sample price: From £2,746 for a complimentary and open to for Holland America Line’s Nieuw nine-night Mighty St Lawrence beginners and experts. Statendam, which is heading to cruise from Quebec to Toronto, from the UK. It’s on Azamara Sample price: A one-week cruise the West Indies for its inaugural departing August 3. Pursuit, the former P&O Cruises from Civitavecchia (for Rome) to season. The ship will feature ship that joins the fleet in August Cannes, departing September 15, Blend, where wannabe vintners What? Azamara Club Cruises is after a refit to bring the decor in starts at £2,149, including flights. can mix their own wines, and offering its first no-fly voyage line with Azamara’s other vessels. French brasserie Sel de Mer. What? Autumn foliage beckons Sample price: From £1,199 for a as Saga Cruises’ Saga Sapphire seven-night eastern Caribbean sets sail on a no-fly cruise to cruise round-trip from Fort Canada with representatives of Lauderdale on December 23. whale and dolphin conservation charity Orca onboard. What? Celestyal Cruises is looking Sample price: From £4,307 for to entice more people to Greece a 28-night Nova Scotia and St in the shoulder months by adding Lawrence cruise departing Dover more three and four-day island- on September 21. hopping mini-cruises – a good option for new-to-cruise clients. w OCTOBER Sample price: From €399 for What? Clients can relax, a three-day Iconic Aegean rejuvenate and learn the art cruise round-trip from Piraeus, of meditation and yoga when departing November 2 or 9. holistic medicine guru Dr Andrew Weil joins a Seabourn sailing in What? Marella Cruises’ Marella the Mediterranean. Discovery bids au revoir to the Sample price: From £5,499 for Med as it heads east for the line’s a 14-night Origins of Wellness first winter season in the Middle cruise round-trip from Piraeus, East and Asia. departing October 6. Sample price: From £1,395, including flights, for a 14-night LEFT: What? Titan Travel managing Red Sea Voyage from Naples Marella director Andy Squirrell will be to Muscat in Oman, departing Discovery hosting afternoon tea and a November 15.

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w DECEMBER What? Celebrity Cruises is River ships launching , with to watch villas, a rooftop garden and a Magic Carpet that is either a in 2018 speciality restaurant or landing platform, depending on where it w Amadeus River Cruises – is hovering. Amadeus Queen Sample price: From £1,719 for w AmaWaterways – AmaLea a balcony cabin on a seven- w American Cruise Lines – night Eastern Caribbean cruise American Song round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, w Avalon Waterways – Avalon departing December 16. Saigon w CroisiEurope – Elbe What? Voyages to Antiquity is Princesse II heading back to Asia for winter w Crystal Cruises – Crystal after a break of several years. Debussy and Crystal Ravel Clients can choose from cruise- w Pandaw – Sabei Pandaw ABOVE: Magic Carpet, Celebrity Edge and-stay itineraries of a month w Riviera Travel – Robert or more and a 129-day Grand Burns Odyssey sailing from Europe to three nights in Athens and a tour Day in Papua New Guinea and Singapore and back via South of the Golden Triangle in India. New Year’s Eve in Bali. For more details on these ships Africa. Sample price: From £25,079, and more river cruise news, Sample price: From £6,295 What? Regent Seven Seas Cruises including flights, for a 36-night check out the digital edition of for a 37-day holiday departing is offering its first voyage around Circumnavigation of Australia the latest Travel Weekly Cruise December 6 that pairs a cruise Australia on Seven Seas Mariner. round-trip from Sydney, at travelweekly.co.uk from Piraeus to Mumbai with Passengers will spend Christmas departing December 15.

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