From the bustling Colombian city streets to the pristine beaches of the ABC islands, Royal Caribbean International passengers can now experience a perfect blend of Southern Caribbean life while cruising from Colon, Panama. Marking the first time that the cruise line has established a homeport at the mouth of the Panama
Canal, Royal Caribbean has announced 17 sailings from December 2008 through April 2009 aboard Enchantment of the Seas. The seven-night voyages will visit spectacular ports-of-call in Colombia and the Dutch Antilles. “Colon is a spectacular Central American city and sailing from Panama not only offers our guests an exciting itinerary, but also allows more travellers more convenient opportunities to enjoy a Royal Caribbean cruise,” said Adam Goldstein, president, Royal Caribbean International, at a press conference in Panama. “We are pleased to bring our signature style of cruising to Panama as we extend our brand globally, and we thankthe government for their enthusiastic support.”
Ports of call on Enchantment’s Southern Caribbean cruises from Colon include Cartagena and Santa Marta, Colombia; Aruba; Bonaire and Curacao. Travellers also can choose from two eight-night repositioning voyages aboard Enchantment sailing on November 29, 2008 and April 5, 2009. In addition to visiting Santa Marta and Cartagena, Colombia, passengers will enjoy two more days in the Caribbean Sea and a call at Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, as the ship cruises to and from Colon and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“Our 2007-08 itineraries from Santo Domingo on Legend of the Seas and from Brazil on Splendour of the Seas have been exceptionally well-received and we are thrilled to further expand our offerings in Latin America with Enchantment’s Southern Caribbean cruises,” said Maria Sastre, vice president, international sales and marketing, Latin America, the Caribbean and Mexico. “Royal Caribbean’s expansion into Panama further demonstrates our continued focus on developing our business in Latin America.”
In Enchantment of the Seas, passengers will enjoy non-stop entertainment and endless options for families and active travelers as they sail to someof the ‘must-see’ destinations in the Caribbean. At each port of call, a great variety of shore excursion opportunities — including historical site visits, off-road adventures, shipwreck diving, zip lining through forest canopies and whitewater rafting — are offered to further enhance the cruising experience.
Enchantment of the Seas features a solarium covered by a crystal canopy, a glass roof that retracts to take advantage of the tropical Caribbean weather. Holidayers can relax by three pools and in six whirlpools, while children frolic in their own splash pool and interactive play area. The more active vacationers can try a bungee trampoline or work up a sweat at the rock-climbing wall or jogging track. The Enchantment Fitness Center and Day Spa features extensive fitness programmes and a world-class spa menu. The line’s award-winning Adventure Ocean youth programme, with five age-tiered
curricula, entertains and enlightens younger passengers under the age of 18.
Royal Caribbean is the only major cruise line with dedicated teen spaces aboard every ship in its fleet and on Enchantment, the Fuel teen-only hang-out and disco are perfect settings for teens to meet and relax with peers.
Monthly Archives: July 2007
Princess Cruises Announces 2008-2009 Caribbean Itineraries
The colourful ports of the Caribbean highlight Princess’ 2008-09 cruise season as the line’s amenity-filled ships offer up fresh itineraries for escapes to these tropical waters, and a new vessel, Ruby Princess, makes her debut.In total, seven Princess ships will sail on 11 itineraries to all corners of the Caribbean, featuring the youngest fleet of any major cruise line in the region. This array of modern vessels, ranging from 710 to 3,100 passengers, offers the highest percentage of balcony staterooms in the Caribbean – perfect for enjoying the idyllic island scenery and crystal blue waters. The line’s wide array of itinerary options includes the opportunity to explore some of the lesser-visited ports in the Caribbean with more 10- and 14-day cruises in the Caribbean than any other line.
Two new itineraries make their debut, including a new Caribbean Collection 14-day itinerary in Grand Princess featuring the best of the Caribbean with nine ports – among them La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curacao, Trinidad and Barbados. Royal Princess offers three special Caribbean Calypso 14-day escapes to several boutique, less-visited ports and sails as far south as Devil’s Island in South America. In addition, Crown Princess will sail on an enhanced seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary with the added port of Grand Turk, along with passenger favourites Princess Cays, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.
Rounding out the programme, the new Ruby Princess makes her debut with a series of seven-day Western Caribbean sailings. Caribbean Princess sails the Southern Caribbean offering alternating Classic and Explorer seven-day itineraries out of San Juan, while Emerald Princess returns with two 10-day roundtrip itineraries from Ft. Lauderdale. And Sea Princess returns with another series of 14-day sailings from Barbados, featuring a new call to Samana, in the Dominican Republic.
“We’ve found both first-timers and long-time cruisers love to travel with Princess in the Caribbean,” said Jan Swartz, Princess’ senior vice president of customer service and sales. “Our wealth of itinerary options offers even the most experienced cruisers new Caribbean destinations, particularly on our longer voyages. Combined with our amenity-filled ships, Princess offers perfect escapes to the world’s most popular destinations.”
Princess’ 2008-09 Caribbean options include:
Ruby Princess – The brand-new Ruby Princess will join the Princess fleet for roundtrip seven-day sailings to the Western Caribbean. The vessel, based in Fort Lauderdale, will offer 26 Saturday departures to Caribbean favourites Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Princess’ own Princess Cays. The ship’s season will run from November 15, 2008 through May 9, 2009.
Crown Princess – Crown Princess, based in Ft. Lauderdale this season, offers round-trip seven-day cruises on a newly Eastern Caribbean itinerary. The ship offers Sunday departures venturing to Princess Cays, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and the added port of Grand Turk. Crown Princess offers 32 sailings between October 5, 2008 and May 10, 2009.
Caribbean Princess - This season, Caribbean Princess moves to San Juan for alternating seven-day itineraries. The Classic Southern Caribbean route features the ports of Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, Tortola and St. Thomas, while the enhanced Southern Caribbean Explorer itinerary journeys to the exotic shores of Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Dominica and St. Thomas. Fourteen departures on each route run between November 2, 2008 and May 10, 2009. In addition, Caribbean Princess will offer a summer season from New York between May 17 and August 15, 2008 on two Eastern Caribbean itineraries. Ports of call on eight of these nine-day roundtrip voyages include Bermuda (West End), San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk. Three sailings will feature calls in San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk.
Emerald Princess – Emerald Princess returns to alternate 10-day sailings roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale – one to the Southern Caribbean and the other to the Eastern Caribbean. The Southern Caribbean Medley itinerary, offered on eleven sailings, includes calls at Princess Cays, St. Thomas, Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba. The Eastern Caribbean Voyager itinerary, featured on ten sailings, offers calls at Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Thomas and Princess Cays. Emerald Princess’ Caribbean season runs between October 21, 2008 and May 9, 2009.
Grand Princess - Grand Princess debuts the new roundtrip Caribbean Collection itinerary from Ft. Lauderdale. Offering 10 Friday departures, the ship sails on a 14-day cruise to Aruba, Cura?ao, Trinidad, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, La Romana and finally Grand Turk. Grand Princess sails between December 19, 2008 and April 24, 2009.
Sea Princess - Sea Princess will offer a series of enhanced 14-day Caribbean adventures from Barbados, featuring two alternating itineraries. Six sailings of the Grand Caribbean Islander route feature calls at Dominica, Antigua, St. Maarten, Tortola, Samana, Montego Bay, Curaçao, Bonaire, Isla Margarita, Grenada and Trinidad. The ship will also offer seven sailings on a Grand Caribbean Adventurer itinerary that features stops at St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Kitts, Tortola, Samana, Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Aruba, Bonaire, Caracas (La Guaira), and Grenada. To begin her season, Sea Princess has an exclusive sailing of the Exotic Southern Caribbean. Beginning in New York, she will sail to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Dominica, St. Vincent, Grenada and finally Barbados where she will be based for the remainder of the season. Sea Princess sails between October 23, 2008 and April 18, 2009.
Royal Princess – The intimate Royal Princess also offers a unique holiday season option with a brand new 14-day Caribbean Calypso itinerary. The ship sails roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale visiting the shores of St. Barthélemy, St. Lucia, Tobago, Devil’s Island, Barbados, Antigua and Virgin Gorda. These exclusive Caribbean Calypso cruises are only offered for three sailing on Dec. 9 and 23, 2008 and Jan. 6, 2009.
All these island escapes feature some of the most amenity-filled vessels in the Princess fleet, with such distinctive features as the line’s signature Personal Choice Dining, Lotus Spa, extensive children and teen centres, wedding chapels, internet centres, and a diverse array of entertainment options and venues, all in an intimately designed, personalized environment. Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess, Crown Princess, Caribbean Princess and also offer features perfect for island cruising, such as the poolside “Movies Under the Stars” movie screen, a Caribbean-themed alternative restaurant, and nearly 900 cabins with balconies — more than on any other cruise ships sailing year-round in the Caribbean.
Early booking fares for Princess Caribbean sailings begin at US$599 per person, based on double occupancy, for a seven-night cruise.
Ship Review REGAL EMPRESS
Regal Empress is a ship that needs no introduction to most passenger ship lovers so I am not going to bother with a full description of her interiors or her history.
The ship herself is what is generally referred to as a market bottom-feeder – an older ship offering bare-bones budget cruises for mostly neophyte passengers who will hopefully enjoy their cruise experience enough to tempt a longer cruise on a more luxurious ship.
The little ship is the last of a breed of older cruise ships that popularized cruising in the 1970’s and 1980’s. A former tourist class transatlantic liner turned cruise ship with extremely limited facilities compared to what is offered on the mega ships of to-day,
but one that has a distinctive charm and character the modern ships can’t match, and ultimately, one that feeds her passengers well, houses them in relatively comfortable accommodation, and despite not having too many bells and whistles, still manages to give them a good time. And at the end of the day, what more can you ask for?
Unfortunately Regal Empress does get a bit of flack on internet sites, mainly from passengers who booked through a timeshare holiday scheme that perhaps promised them a lot more than what the ship is capable of delivering in terms of hardware. Imperial Majesty Cruises itself is not to blame for this – its marketing of the ship is fairly
honest, and the passengers who book directly with it are the ones who usually leave the most satisfied.
So there I was a while standing on the pier at Port Everglades terminal 4. I’d just finished having an argument with a security guard who wouldn’t let me take a photo of the ship from the terminal parking lot. He said it was illegal to take photos of the terminal areas, and didn’t react to kindly when I suggested that if that was the case, he had better go onboard the ships and arrest allthe embarked passengers who were very evidently taking photos ofthose same terminal facilities, but from a better vantage point. You can’t win an argument against the dock fascists nowadays, so before the situation became more difficult, I went into the terminal and checked in.
The warm, glowing woodwork of the Regal Empress’s embarkation foyer was a world away from the glitz and glamour of the modern cruise ship. A steward led me to my cabin, U90, a wonderful room with neoEdwardian wood panelling that was once part of the tourist class cardroom. The room had a large, very comfortable king-sized bed, and
after 34 hours flying from Singapore, I lay down briefly just to tryit out. Three hours later I was woken up by announcements for the boat drill.
That event completed, I went up on deck to watch us pull out of the port. Docked next door to Regal Empress at right angles was Princess’s giant Coral Princess. What is with those two Boeing 737 early generation engines welded onto her funnel? astern of her was SeaEscape’s diminutive gambling ship Island Adventure, while off on the other side of the port was Seven Seas Mariner. A quiet day in Port Everglades.
We set sail promptly at 5pm and headed off into a calm Caribbean Sea.
I took time to explore Regal Empress and take in her wonderful atmosphere. She oozes old-world charm for the most part. Imperial Majesty has done some refitting since taking her over from Regal Cruises in 2004, although not all has been in sympathy with the original décor.
The cinema is awful, the showroom bland, but all this is more than made up for by rooms such as the Commodore Club, the Mermaid Lounge, the dining room (which unfortunately inherited the chairs off the old Ocean Breeze), and all the wonderful foyers and staircases.
The ship’s indoor and outdoor promenade decks, and the tiered aft decks are truly delightful, my favourite spot being the small covered outdoor deck just aft of the showroom.
All in all the ship is in remarkably good condition for a 54-year old liner, and I found her maintenance to be of a much higher standard than when I last sailed in her under Regal Cruises ownership in 2000.
Knowing that jetlag would overcome me sooner rather than later in the evening, I booked the first sitting dinner. The passengers at my table were all Regal Empress veterans, one of whom has sailed in the ship over twenty times since Imperial put her on the short cruise run to the Bahamas. There were many regular passengers on board, so the
dining room had lots of happy reunions between crew and passengers.
The ship’s crew are all long-serving veterans and work together as one big happy family, led by the very charming hotel manager, Alain Chabot, who has worked on board since her Commodore days. It is this kind of personal touch that is sadly missing on the big ships.
The cuisine was superb – on par, if not better than any of the mass market lines.
Entertainment is where the budget nature of Regal Empress’s cruise shows itself. There was a troupe of excellent East-European singers and dancers for the shows, but the two-man show band backing them up lacked the necessary oomph, although the talent was there. Similarly, there is no longer a band in the Mermaid Lounge, which nowadays is used mainly for Karaoke. A Latin band and singer did perform in the evenings out by the swimming pool and were generally very well received. Unfortunately the pianist in the Commodore lounge had for the most part only the bar tender and waitress for an audience as the room was largely deserted during my cruise.
I rounded up the evening with a slice of pizza from the expansive midnight buffet and then went to catch up on lost sleep.
The next morning I was up early to watch our approach into Nassau, where we tied up in front of Carnival’s Fascination at around 9am. I spent the morning at the forward end of the promenade deck photographing the parade of arriving cruise ships, all of which
performed a nice pirouette in front of Regal Empress before backing into their berths. First to arrive was Celebrity’s Millennium, followed then by Carnival’s Elation, which made a brief half-hour call to unload a medical emergency. The giant Explorer of the Seas arrived next, followed by the very attractive-looking Radiance of the Seas. Once Elation departed, the Sovereign of the Seas arrived, completing the list of visiting cruise ships for the day. Downtown Nassau, as you can well imagine, was a very tight squeeze with all he visiting cruise passengers. I took a brief stroll around the
downtown area before spending the rest of the afternoon enjoying Regal Empress’s lido deck. So many large ships were making my mind boggle.
We sailed from Nassau at 5pm, and once again I enjoyed a splendid meal in the dining room. The night passed far too quickly.
The next morning I was up early. After a quick breakfast on deck, I went up forward to watch our 9am arrival into Port Everglades. We passed closely by outbound Discovery Sun before entering the port. Visitors for the day included Costa Magica, Costa Mediterranea, Caribbean Princess, Carnival Liberty, Millennium, Radiance of the Seas and Westerdam. I was one of the first passengers off the ship as I had to rush down to Miami in time for lunch on board Oceania’s Regatta. I have sailed many times in Regatta’s sistership Pacific Princess, and it was interesting to see how even more beautiful this class of ship can be when some money is splurged on them. Regatta is proof that it is little things that make the difference.
Summing up my Regal Empress experience, I have to say she is not a ship for cruise snobs who insist on a luxury ship. If you take her for what she is – a well-run 53-year old tourist class liner that is being used on a budget cruise service, then you will enjoy yourself immensely. I certainly did. Go sooner rather than later as this ship ould make that one way voyage to Alang for scrapping at the drop of a hat.Reproduced with kind permission of Jonathan Boonzaier
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Crystal Cruises Adds Third Berths
To accommodate increased demand, Crystal Cruises has added to Crystal Serenity 20 third berth accommodations, representing a 15% increase. In time for the busy summer season and the rise in family travel, Crystal is introducing new in-room sofas that fold out to single beds in the sitting areas of several categories of staterooms. The changes reflect current trends and expand flexible travel options for future sailings, including Crystal Serenity’s upcoming American Thanksgiving voyage in which kids sail free.Effective on her July 14 Mediterranean cruise, Crystal Serenity now features 157 flexible third-berth travel options in every category and on every passenger deck, including all Penthouse Suites and many Deluxe Staterooms with private verandahs and picture windows. Every passenger deck also offers a variety of staterooms and suites with connecting capabilities, including a number with third berth capacity, expanding the options for extended groups of families and friends travelling together.
“The popularity of family and multi-generational travel is one of the year’s top travel trends,” says Bill Smith, Crystal’s senior vice president, sales and marketing. “Families seeking great style and service, especially in overseas travel, appreciate our spacious ships and destination-rich itineraries. In the luxury sector, Crystal offers an attractive mix of activities, amenities, and shoreside adventures for every age, with the chance to introduce children and grandchildren to the world’s great cities and sites while sharing valuable time together.”
Enjoy Third Berths on U.S. Thanksgiving Voyage where Kids Sail Free
Travellers will have the perfect opportunity to take advantage of Crystal Serenity’s new flexible accommodations during the ship’s upcoming U.S. Thanksgiving voyage in the Caribbean and Panama Canal, November 19 – 30, 2007, on which children 11 years old and under sail for free when travelling with two adults in a third berth suite. The voyage offers the chance to explore the beaches and rainforests of Costa Rica, have up-close encounters with marine life in the Caribbean, and experience the fascination of transiting the Panama Canal.
Offering family friendly activities and interests for all ages, the sailing is also a Mind, Body & Spirit theme voyage featuring instruction in Tai Chi, yoga and Pilates, and lecturers from the Cleveland Clinic, as well as the line’s renowned Computer University@Sea®, and the innovative Creative Learning Institute.
Crystal Serenity’s 2007 Thanksgiving voyage from Miami to Caldera, Costa Rica, features calls in: Turks & Caicos/Grand Turk; St. Barts/Gustavia, French West Indies; St. Maarten/Philipsburg, Netherlands Antilles; Aruba/Oranjestad, Dutch West Indies; as well as transit of the Panama Canal. Fares begin at US$3,380 per person, double occupancy, depending on stateroom selected.
Junior Activities
With its acclaimed children’s programmes and activities, Crystal is the luxury operator best suited for the family market. Crystal Serenity has a fully supervised Junior Activities Program for kids ages 17 and under, and Fantasia – the ship’s dedicated children’s playroom – is outfitted with games, craft materials, Sony Playstation® and Xbox 360TM video games, and personal computers with entertainment and education software.
The line’s highly qualified staff of Junior Activities Directors includes grade school, high school, and physical education teachers on summer holiday, as well as seasoned camp counsellors. There is at least one counsellor for each 12 participants, a ratio that supports a variety of age-appropriate activities tiered for toddlers through teens.
QUEEN VICTORIA’s 2008 Programmes
Set to debut in December, Queen Victoria follows in the wake of her liner predecessors, offering a collection of inaugural itineraries that underscore her well-travelled passengers’ quest for genuinely intriguing travel experiences. Highlights of the ship’s 2008 schedule are an eclectic variety of Mediterranean itineraries offering departures from Rome, Barcelona, Venice, Athens and Southampton – allowing passengers a more in-depth experience into the ancient cities and renowned ports of this popular region. In addition, Queen Victoria‘s voyages to the Baltic mark Cunard’s return to this part of the world.
In keeping with Cunard’s heritage of inaugural call fanfare, the ship is expected to be greeted by celebratory festivities and large numbers of well wishers at every port. Passengers sailing on these voyages will not only enjoy the opportunity to be a part of Queen Victoria‘s once-in-a-lifetime inaugural season, but will also enjoy the opportunity to depart from some of Europe’s most glamorous cities.
“In Queen Victoria‘s inaugural year, we’ve planned a compelling around-the-world schedule that affords travellers an opportunity to experience the next generation of Cunard style, complete with festive welcomes in every port,” says Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line. “In addition to joining Cunard’s exciting heritage of maiden call fanfare, guests travelling on Mediterranean, Baltic and Northern European voyages will be able to enjoy a more in-depth experience in each of these fascinating ports.”
Mediterranean Exploration
Following the sun, Queen Victoria will sail the Mediterranean for a series of open-ended voyages that afford her passengers an even greater opportunity for in-depth exploration and discovery. Many of the ship’s Mediterranean voyages depart from Barcelona, Rome and Venice – even Athens – and arrive in another of the Med’s iconic ports.
Legends of the Mediterranean - Two 12-day voyages departing Barcelona on August 25 and October 24, with stops in Monte Carlo, Florence/Pisa, Naples/Capri, Valletta, Crete, Izmir, Athens, Sicily and Rome. Voyage fares start from US$2,395.
Classical Mediterranean – Two 12-day voyages departing Venice on August 13 and October 12, with stops in Dubrovnik, Katakolon, Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Sicily, Rome, Florence/Pisa, Marseille and Barcelona. Both departures feature an overnight stay in Venice. Voyage fares start from US$2,445.
Ancient Wonders of the Mediterranean - Two 12-day voyages, departing on November 5 and November 17 from Rome and Athens, respectively, with stops in Naples/Capri, Sicily, Valletta, Alexandria (for Cairo/Giza), Port Said, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Dikili, Volos and Athens. Voyage fares start from at US$2,295.
Connoisseur’s Mediterranean - A 12-day voyage, departing Rome on November 29 and ending in Southampton, with stops in Naples/Capri, Sicily, Katakolon, Dubrovnik, Valletta, La Goulette and Malaga. Voyage fares starting at US$2,295.
Greek Isles and Aegean Shores – Two 12-day voyages, departing Rome on September 6 and September 30, with stops in Naples/Capri, Santorini, Izmir, Istanbul (overnight), Samos, Athens, Zakinthos, Dubrovnik and concluding with an overnight in Venice. Voyage fares start from US$2,695.
Crimean Coasts - A 12-day voyage, departing from Venice on September 18 and ending in Rome, with stops in Kusadasi, Istanbul (overnight), Odessa, Yalta, Athens, Sicily and Rome. Voyage fares start from US$2,795.
For those wishing to sail to the Mediterranean, Canary Islands or Western Europe roundtrip from Southampton:
Canary Islands Splendour - A ten-day voyage, departing roundtrip from Southampton on April 22, with stops in Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Vigo. Voyage fares start from US$1,775.
Spring Getaway – A four-day voyage, departing roundtrip from Southampton on May 2, with stops in Le Havre, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge. Voyage fares start from US$995.
Mediterranean Delights - A 14-day voyage departing roundtrip from Southampton on May 6 with stops in Seville, Corsica, Rome, Naples/Capri, Valletta, La Goulette and Gibraltar. Voyage fares start from US$2,975.
Caribbean Holiday - A 22-day voyage, departing roundtrip from Southampton on December 11 with stops in Ponta Delgada, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Madeira and Vigo. Voyage fares start from at US$5,695.
Additionally, Queen Victoria offers a Mediterranean voyage departing from Southampton, ending with an overnight in Venice:
Jewels of the Mediterranean – A 12-day voyage, departing Southampton on August 1 and ending with an overnight stay in Venice, with stops in Gibraltar, Cannes, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Sicily, Corfu and Dubrovnik. Voyage fares start from US$2,995.
Throughout her first year, Queen Victoria will chart a far-reaching course through Europe stretching as far south as the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria; as far east as Yalta, Ukraine, once an ancient Greek colony on the northern coast of the Black Sea; and west to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Likewise, rare overnight stays in Venice, Istanbul and St. Petersburg will afford Queen Victoria‘s passengers the opportunity to explore these captivating cities at a more leisurely pace.
“Covering the northernmost ports, then south to Egypt, east into the Black Sea and west to the Canary Islands, the breadth of her dazzling itinerary really sets her apart as she will sail a significant percentage of the globe in her first year,” Ms Marlow added.
A Return to Russia
Another highlight of Queen Victoria‘s 2008 programme is Cunard’s return to Russia. Three 14-day Russian Rendezvous voyages (departing May 27, June 22 and July 18 roundtrip from Southampton) will circle the Baltic Sea and feature two full days in St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as stops in Bruges, Belgium; Gdansk, Poland; Tallinn, Estonia; Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. Voyage fares start from US$3,375.
Voyaging Through Northern Europe
Queen Victoria‘s forays into this enthralling region include a seven-day Norwegian Fjords voyage, departing roundtrip from Southampton on May 20, with stops in Bergen, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Aalesund and Stavanger, and two 12-day Voyage of the Vikings voyages departing roundtrip from Southampton on June 10 and July 6, with stops in Bergen, Tromso, Honningsvag (for the North Cape), Trondheim, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Olden and Stavanger. Voyage fares for Norwegian Fjords start from US$1,675 and Voyage of the Vikings fares start from US$2,895.
The 90,000-ton Queen Victoria will offering the very best of Cunard’s heritage and traditions, along with all modern day luxuries, and will also feature many exciting innovations. These will include the first traditional West End-style private viewing boxes at sea in the Royal Court Theatre; the first floating Cunardia museum display, housing Cunard artifacts and memorabilia and the first two-story, ‘spiral staircased’ library at sea. The ship will also feature the line’s celebrated luxury Grills accommodation and dining, further enhanced on Queen Victoria with exclusive deck terraces and an al fresco dining option.
From the outside, her distinctive black and red livery will hint at what differentiates a Cunarder from a standard cruise ship. This will be most evident in the ship’s adherence to liner traditions of the past, with elegant double- and triple-height public rooms featuring rich wood panelling, intricate mosaics and gleaming chandeliers. There will also be a grand, colonial-style Winter Garden complete with a retractable glass deckhead.
As well as being the second largest Cunarder ever built, Queen Victoria‘s arrival is particularly noteworthy as it will mark the first time that three Cunard Queens have been in service together in the company’s 168-year history. She joins RMS Queen Mary 2, and the world’s most famous ship, Queen Elizabeth 2.
