CRUISE PLANNER


CELEBRITY CRUISES Ship


Celebrity Xpedition Century


Millennium, Infinity, Summit, Constellation


Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette, Reflection


Rating Type


Resort Resort


SR Dining Tonnage P / C


4*-Plus Adventure 40.30 Open 2,842 5* 5*


5*-Plus Resort 98/45


40.30 Two 70,000 1750/843 46.60 Two 91,000 2100/999


42.80 Two 122,000 2850/1271


One of the most refined of the mainstream brands, offering more choice for those willing to pay a little more. Standard accommodation is bigger than most, decor is chic and the ambience cosmopolitan. Excellent spas, good entertainment and choice of facilities for children. Dining is good and the alternative restaurants on the Millennium and Solstice-class ships are one of their strongest features. The Solstice vessels (2008-12) enhance the excellent range of facilities and style still further and sparked a recent refit of the Millennium ships. Wide range of destination choice, from standard Caribbean routes and lots of Europe in summer to Bermuda, Alaska, Panama, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and South America in winter, plus New England and Canada in the autumn. The small-scale Xpedition operates exclusively to the Galapagos year-round. Gratuities not included. www.celebritycruises.com/co.uk


COMPAGNIE DU PONANT Ship


Rating Type Le Ponant


Le Boreal, L’Austral, Le Soleal


5*-Plus Boutique 6*


Boutique


COVER STORY


COSTA CRUISES Ship


Costa Classica


Costa neoRomantica 5* Costa Victoria Costa Voyager


Costa Atlantica, Mediterranea


SR Dining Tonnage P / C 22.22 Open 1,489 67/30 47.76 Open 10,700 224/139


This French line features an upmarket fleet offering a wide range of cruise experiences. Original sail-cruiser Le Ponant created a niche style in small-scale, deluxe sailing in the Caribbean and Med, with high-quality cuisine and a wonderfully laid-back onboard ambience, with few amenities but fabulous service. The line took another step up in 2010 and 11 with Le Boreal and L’Austral, featuring a more expansive style, more onboard choice, more luxury but the same distinguished service and cuisine, with Le Soleal joining in June 2013. Destinations now range from the Arctic and Antarctia to Russia, South America, Asia and Canada and New England. Enhancements include a state-of-the-art Spa, salon and fitness facility. Gratuities not included. http://en.ponant.com


Costa Serena, Pacifica, Favolosa, Fascinosa


Costa Luminosa, Deliziosa


Rating Type 4*-Plus Resort


Resort


4*-Plus Resort 4*-Plus Classic 5*


Resort


Costa Fortuna, Magica 5* 5*


Resort Resort


5*-Plus Resort


SR


Dining Tonnage P / C


40.64 Two 52,926 1302/590 31.11 Two 56,000 1800/630 38.98 Two 75,166 1928/790 33.49 Two 25,000 836/360 40.50 Two 85,619 2114/897


37.77 Two 102,587 2716/1027 38.11 Two 114,500 3004/1100


41.01 Two 92,700 2260/900


The most recent vessels – Atlantica (2000) to Fascinosa (2012) – give Costa state-of-the-art, Resort-style ships. Lively and contemporary, Costa is part of the Carnival family but with a more European flavour (albeit with Carnival styling on the newest ships) and offering great value for all ages. Generally weak alternative dining on older vessels but good alternatives on newer ones. Voyager is the former Olympia Voyager of Royal Olympic Cruises and adds small-scale style to unique year-round Red Sea voyages. The neoRomantica underwent a 2012 refit to add two new half- decks and more facilities, including bars, coffee lounge, Spa and nightclub. Their cruise range includes year-round Mediterranean itineraries, plus northern Europe in summer and Caribbean in winter, plus the Middle East (based on Dubai), New England and Canada, Far East, China, Canaries, South America and the Indian Ocean/Mauritius. Gratuities not included. The tragic Costa Concordia is being salvaged for scrap. www.costacruises.com/co.uk


CRUISE & MARITIME VOYAGES Ship


Marco Polo Ocean Countess


Rating Type 4*


4* SR


Classic Classic


Dining Tonnage P / C


26.92 Two 22,080 820/356 21.99 Two 17,593 800/350


This classic ship operator offers two well-known former ships, the original and highly popular Marco Polo (herself converted from classic Russian liner Alexandr Pushkin) of Orient Lines and the ex- Cunard Countess of Cunard, now refurbished as Ocean Countess. Sailing purely from UK ports on a series of voyages to northern Europe, the Canaries and Mediterranean, with longer cruises to Russia and the Black Sea, plus a popular round-Britain series. Full British onboard style, cuisine and entertainment, with stylish alternative dining on Marco Polo and good choice of public rooms, all with a traditional feel. Gratuities added to onboard account.


www.cruiseandmaritime.com Winter 2012-13 I WORLD OF CRUISING 83


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