The Final Frontier Lady Mariner QM2 Remastered In Perfect Harmony Expeditions exceed Meet Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Cunard's contemporary All aboard the world's expectation in Antarctica first female Captain take on classic cruising biggest ship July/August 2016 Edition 14 | £4.95 ADVENTURE AWAITS Embark on an epic exploration Welcome ! t is a term which is thrown around often, but what truly makes for the ‘holiday of a lifetime’? Is it Icruising deep into the Amazon Rainforest or exploring the Galapagos Islands, or is it sailing the seas of the Mediterranean aboard the ship of your choice? Perhaps your holiday of a lifetime is crossing the Atlantic on the Queen’s favourite ocean liner or maybe it is joining the tiny handful of travellers fortunate enough to set foot in Antarctica? Whatever it is, cruising can make it happen. Since our last issue, we have seen the arrival of MS Koningsdam and Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, both of which are already making waves. Both ships are featured inside, as is an exclusive look at Cunard’s ‘remastered’ Queen Mary 2. Whilst on the subject of debuts, we’re also sharing the best new tourist attractions for 2016, as well as raising a toast to Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ new Captain, Serena Melani. I do hope you enjoy reading. Yours sincerely Michael Wilson Managing Director Trinidad Carnival Chief 36 16 CONTENTS News 48 06. Cruise News Features 04. Destination Inspiration Valletta 10. QM2 Remastered 14. Adventure Awaits Intrepid travellers don't always carry backpacks 36. Olá Lisbon Explore the world's most colourful capital 63 46. The Final Frontier In the white wilds of Antarctica 52. Harmony of the Seas Is bigger always better? 56. Holiday Like The A-List Living the high life with Celebrity Cruises 62. Cast Away The Cold Stretch your summer with some winter sun Regulars 28. Industry Insider: Lady Mariner We meet RSSC's first ever female Captain 81 31. Dream Destination What to Eat, Drink and Do in Korcula 80. Ask The Experts Let us answer your cruise queries 85. Bolsover on Board Join Sales Consultant Kirsty on MSC Preziosa 87. Competition 88. Favourite Four: Fjords www.bolsovercruiseclub.com | Into The Blue 3 DESTINATION INSPIRATION St. John's Co-Cathedral VALLETTA Surrounded by some of the Mediterranean’s bluest waters and enjoying an average of 300 sunny days a year, the historic Maltese capital of Valletta sure packs a punch. With P&O Cruises set to include weekly departures from Malta in its Mediterranean fly-cruise itineraries from 2017, now is your chance to experience the intriguing walled city before it takes centre stage as the European Capital of Culture in 2018. 4 Into The Blue | Call us on: 01246 819 819 www.bolsovercruiseclub.com | Into The Blue 5 CRUISE NEWS Celebrity Cruises Bring Modern Luxury To The Galapagos Islands Xploration Balcony Celebrity Cruises has with both set to offer total, visiting 15 islands and revealed that two new a range of all-inclusive more than 30 ports of call. ships will join the state- extras and land excursions Packages will range from of-the-art 49 passenger on their new itineraries. seven to 15-nights, feature Celebrity Xpedition in Celebrity Xploration northern and southern loop the Galapagos Islands is a luxury catamaran itineraries and offer the from March 2017. featuring just eight option to combine sailings Celebrity Xploration staterooms, whilst the with pre and post-cruise and Celebrity Xperience larger Celebrity Xperience stays. Itineraries will include have each undergone will offer the same high- ports of call never before extensive multi-million end experience to guests dollar refurbishments in its 24 staterooms. visited by Celebrity Cruises to incorporate Celebrity and will offer a range of Cruises’ signature ‘modern Together, the three ships land experiences that are luxury’ enhancements, will offer six itineraries in exclusive to the cruise line. Holland America Line Announces Name Of Next Ship Holland America Line has the Statendam name and is with the finished product replicate his work aboard ms announced that the next ship set to “blend past, present set to accommodate 2,650 Koningsdam, as will designer in its Pinnacle Class will be and future”, according to guests and incorporating Bjorn Storbraaten, who has Orlando Ashford, Holland named ms Nieuw Statendam. many of the innovative successfully overseen the America Line’s president. The ship, which is set for features which were recently design of public spaces on ms delivery in autumn 2018, will Construction of the ship debuted on sister-ship, ms Koningsdam, ms Eurodam become the sixth ship in the recently began at Fincantieri’s Koningsdam. Hospitality and ms Nieuw Amsterdam in cruise line’s history to bear Marghera shipyard in Italy, designer Adam D. Tihany will recent years. 6 Into The Blue | Call us on: 01246 819 819 Ports Direct Extends Service Ports Direct have been offering reliable transfers to and from all major UK ports and airports since 2007, with services offered to guests travelling with Fred Olsen, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Now, the company has announced that it has added P&O Cruises to its ...cruises thatportfolio, startin a move that sees it confirm its position Ncl Announces Expansion Of Great Stirrup Cay from your frontas one of the door UK’s leading Norwegian Cruise Lines has an oceanfront restaurant. private island back in 1977 names in port transport. announced the addition Access will be exclusively and it has become popular of an exclusive Lagoon available to guests staying for its 10-acre beach, huge Retreat at its private island in The Haven and Suite entertainment complex Great Stirrup Cay, as part accommodations, along with and range of activities. The of a planned $400 million those who have purchased expansion of the island, investment programme by an on-island Mandara Spa which is due for completion the cruise line. service. A limited number of in January 2017, will see passes will also be available facilities made available The Lagoon Retreat will for general purchase on to guests on a number of include 22 private air- each sailing. Caribbean and Bahamas conditioned villas, along itineraries including the with a secluded beach, a NCL were the first to offer introduction of a 1,000ft-long dedicated family area and their guests access to a zip line. Proud members of Cunard Unveils Remastered Queen Mary 2 P dd The “remastered” Queen Public spaces including the Kings Mary 2 made a regal return to Court buffet have also been Southampton at the end of June, extensively remodelled, whilst where a handful of special guests the Todd English restaurant were given an exclusive look has been replaced with a new at the extensive bow-to-stern speciality dining venue, The renovations completed during Verandah. The former Winter a 25-day dry dock in Hamburg. Garden has been totally Over a million man hours and a reimagined and reintroduced as £90 million investment went in the Carinthia Lounge. to revitalising the world’s most famous ocean liner. Turn to page 10 to find out more about QM2 Remastered. Work saw a complete redesign and refurbishment of the Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites and dining venues, as well as the modernisation of Britannia and Britannia Club cabins. Fifty new staterooms were also created during the dry dock, including 15 for single travellers. www.bolsovercruiseclub.com | Into The Blue 7 CRUISENEWS Royal Caribbean Announces New Terminal Royal Caribbean International has announced plans to build and operate a new cruise terminal at PortMiami, in a development which would finally enable the cruise line’s biggest ships to homeport at the location. Two Oasis-class ships currently sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, with Harmony of the Seas set to join them in November. At present, PortMiami is unable to accommodate the 5,000-plus passenger vessels, something which would change with the development of a state-of- the-art terminal described by representatives of RCI and Miami-Dade County as capable of seeing PortMiami become Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise port in the world. Ovation Of The Seas Christened In Tianjin Royal Caribbean’s Ovation on her new role as the specifically for the Chinese of the Seas has become ship’s Godmother during market by Royal Caribbean the cruise line’s first ship a traditional ceremony at and its arrival sees the to be christened in China. Ovation’s homeport Tianjin operator’s fleet become Fan BingBing, star of the in northeast China. the largest in China; the Main Dining Room onboard blockbuster X-Men movies cruise industry’s fastest- Harmony of the Seas and one of China’s most The Quantum class ship famous actresses, took was the first ever built growing market. 8 Into The Blue | Call us on: 01246 819 819 HOLLAND AMERICA LINE REACHES ITS PINNACLE As the first in a new, but still mid-sized Pinnacle class, the 2,650-guest ms Koningsdam blends fresh, contemporary styling with the classic elegance for which Holland America Line has long been renowned. Now, Holland America’s first new ship in six years has commenced its maiden season, garnering fantastic feedback from guests and signalling the beginning of a new era for the cruise line. onouring a Dutch permanent installation on the ship. Interiors by Adam D. design concepts for ms heritage spanning 143 Tihany, one of the world’s Koningsdam and went on years, Her Majesty With its launch, the stunning pre-eminent hospitality to say: “We have tried to Queen Máxima of 95,000 gross-tonnes vessel designers, were inspired by surprise and delight guests, Hthe Netherlands christened became the largest ship in the the “architecture of music”, so they have wonderful ms Koningsdam back in May, cruise line’s 14-strong fleet.