Travel News June 2019


CRUISING 19


An interior shot showing the refurbishment of Regent Seven Seas Navigator


Navigator has been putting on the style


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EADING luxury ocean cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises, has unveiled Seven Seas Navigator following her two-week refurbishment in Brest,


France.


Notable enhancements to the intimate, 490-guest, all- suite ship following the refurbishment include: Restaurants


Guest favourite, Prime 7, a contemporary American steakhouse, is completely reimagined with dramatic new appeal. Dark imperial blue walls accented with gold, light leather chairs and rich wood fi nishes provide a refi ned and elegant backdrop for prime steaks and seafood. Large artwork, marble sculptures and intricately patterned fl oors were added to enhance the décor.


Prime SevenPublic Areas


The welcoming Navigator Lounge was refreshed with new furnishings enabling more space for guests to sit and enjoy coff ee during the day and cocktails around the piano in the afternoon and evenings. Navigator Lounge


Stars Lounge was completely reimagined with new carpet, new furniture and new wall coverings in light dusty rose and champagne tones highlighted with gold. Marble tables glimmer under evening dance fl oor lights where guests can enjoy cocktails and dancing before dinner or after the evening performance in the Constellation Theatre. Stars Lounge


Seven Seas Navigator was upgraded with new carpeting, modern wall coverings and sleek metal for a distinctive contemporary design on the staircases and in the Atrium to welcome guests with a light, airy and modern feel. New Italian marble fl oors were installed on elevators, and carpeting and wall coverings were


CELEBRITY Flora, the brand new state-of-the-art expedition cruise ship revolutionised modern luxury exploration when she made her debut in the Galapagos Islands on June 30.


To celebrate the launch, Celebrity Cruises is off ering savings of up to 25 per cent on selected sailings when booked before July 31, 2019. One of the most energy-effi cient ships of its size in the unspoiled archipelago, the 100-guest Celebrity Flora is the fi rst ship of its kind designed specifi cally for the Galapagos Islands.


Featuring all-suite accommodation with personal attendants, onboard certifi ed naturalists, and Celebrity Cruises’ signature outward-facing design, the ship has been thoughtfully designed to bring guests closer to the Galapagos Islands than ever before. The ship is the fi rst vessel in the Galapagos to be equipped with cutting-edge oceanographic research equipment, known as Oceanscope. The programme


installed in all guest hallways. New artwork is featured in guest corridors. Spa


The spa is now a relaxing haven of tranquillity. The entrance features pebble-stone tiles that lead to an inviting light wood spa desk where attentive staff will assist guests with the treatments of their choice. Treatment rooms have been updated to provide soothing environments for a variety of services. The relaxation area has been updated with light tones, making it a perfect retreat before or after a spa visit. The beauty salon has been enlarged, now featuring a dedicated pedicure and manicure area that has fl oor- to-ceiling ocean views. Stations for hair treatments and make-up round out the array of services available. Seven Seas Navigator’s refurbishment is her fi rst since 2016, and with this latest drydock, she has been completely refurbished from bow-to-stern over the past three years. Since 2016, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has invested more than $150 million refurbishing and modernizing its best-in-class fl eet, so its four ships remain the leader in luxury cruising and off er guests an unrivalled experience.


* US CRUISE lines have had to rejig their programmes following the recent unexpected ban by the Trump administration on US cruises to Cuba. Indeed, Carnival Corporation’s annual profi t forecast has been blown off course by the sudden Cuba ban recently. This was compounded in the quarter to May by the group’s continental European brands facing adverse conditions aff ecting operating performances for Aida in Germany and Costa Cruises in Italy.


However, in the UK – where the company operates P&O Cruises and Cunard – has been a better market despite Brexit.


Expedition ship makes its debut


builds on a more than 20-year relationship with University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science that benefi ts from a cruise ship’s consistent itinerary to create a perfect and cost- eff ective way for scientists to gather and measure ocean circulation dynamics.


Guests can enjoy one of the world’s top destinations for incredible wildlife and biodiversity whilst embracing the beautiful and unspoilt white sandy beaches of Gardner Bay. The daily agenda will include making friends with iguanas at the enchanting Dragon Hill, snorkelling alongside sea turtles at Daphne Island and taking in the breath-taking views of the undiscovered archipelago.


The 10-night Galapagos Islands Outer Loop fl y/ cruise on Celebrity Flora departing 28 February 2020 starts from £8,309 per person in a Deluxe Suite including return fl ights from London Heathrow, based on two people sharing.


‘Proud’ to host veterans of D-Day!


FRED. Olsen Cruise Lines says it is proud to have played its part in hosting 250 D-Day veterans – plus their carers and companions – on a poignant pilgrimage around the UK and Normandy, France, on The Royal British Legion’s ‘D-Day 75 Voyage of Remembrance’ aboard Boudicca, recently.


Fred. Olsen’s Boudicca – resplendent in The Royal British Legion’s recognisable red poppy décor – set sail from Dover on June 2 2019, taking the veterans to Dunkirk, Poole, Portsmouth and Le Havre, where they


attended a series of commemorative events to mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944.


Suff olk-based travel specialists, Arena Travel, partnered with The Royal British Legion on the historic Voyage – with whom they have been an offi cial travel partner since 2013 – and contacted local Suff olk cruise line Fred. Olsen to get involved, due to the number of veterans to be transported and the high costs and lack of availability of hotels in and around Normandy.


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