34 | CRUISE NEWS
Newest Ship – Vista OCEANIA Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has welcomed its newest ship – Vista. Delivered at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Genoa,
Italy,
Oceania Cruises’ initial Allura Class ship features several firsts in the realms of dining, accommodation and guest experience. This 67,000- 791-foot-
ton,
long ship is one of the most anticipated new ships to join the global cruise fleet in 2023. The 1,200-guest Vista boasts the most spacious standard staterooms at sea, three brand-new dining concepts and operates with a market-leading service ratio of two staff members for every three guests. She is highly anticipated by brand loyal and new guests alike, with only a few select staterooms available for her inaugural summer season in the Mediterranean. Vista builds on Oceania Cruises’ exemplary reputation of destination-rich itineraries with world-class service and The Finest Cuisine at Sea® by offering 11 culinary venues, three of which are new concepts – Ember, a signature restaurant featuring elevated American cuisine; Aquamar Kitchen, which brings wellness offerings to a new level; and The Bakery at Baristas, an expansion of popular coffee bar Baristas, serving freshly baked French and Italian pastries. In addition to an elevated mixology program with innovative specialty cocktails, Vista’s new Broadway- calibre productions feature recognisable songs by some of the world’s most beloved artists and contemporary dance numbers led by “Dancing with the Stars” choreographer Britt Stewart. After her summer season in the Mediterranean,
Vista
will sail to Canada and New England before heading south for a series of winter itineraries exploring the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. As Oceania
Cruises takes
delivery, the line announces its leadership team for Vista. The newly appointed shipboard leaders bring widespread experience from longstanding careers in the industry to their new roles leading 800 crew members on the 1,200-guest ship.
Croisieurope Launches Two Unique Coastal Cruises
CROISIEUROPE has launched two brand new and exclusive coastal itineraries onboard La Belle de l’Adriatique which will operate in November and December 2023 before the ship commences its season in the Red Sea. A seven-night ‘The Best of the Mediterranean’ cruise round trip
from Catania visiting Pozzallo, Valletta and Syracuse and featuring ancient ruins, picturesque villages and authentic traditions. Highlights include optional excursions to the Cyclopean Coast and Gozo as well as tours of Catania, Regusa and Modica, Valletta, Mdina and Rabat, Syracuse and Ortigia, and Noto.
A seven-night ‘La Dolce Salerno, cruising Vita
Along The Italian Coastline’ cruise round trip from Naples visiting Milazzo, Vibo Marina and Sorrento or
through the
famous Strait of Messina and giving the guests the chance to experience the magical Advent traditions Italy.
of Oceania Cruises Welcomes its
www.nitravelnews.com
AMBASSADOR Cruise Line has unveiled ‘A Taste of Ambassador’ – an all-new cruise concept that offers guests the opportunity to enjoy the very best that the brand has to offer over the course of just one weekend.
Holland America Line Set To Homeport in UK
HOLLAND America Line’s passengers will be able to broaden their horizons like never before on the most diverse,
destination-focused
itineraries. With an increase in cruises over 10 days, more sailings to Iceland and a combined 62 overnight calls or late-night departures in leading European cities, Holland America Line is enticing travellers to become immersed in the culture, history and landscapes of the region. New in 2025, Holland America Line is adding 10 roundtrip
Dover itineraries aboard Nieuw Statendam ranging from 14 to 28 days, offering a convenient embarkation homeport for British guests. The cruise line also features more
itineraries to trending hot spots like the Holy Land region, Iberia and Iceland. A new 28-day “Arctic Circle
Royal Caribbean Launches TWO NEW CHARTER FLIGHTS For 2024 Cruise Season
Crossing” Legendary Voyage showcases the pristine backdrop of Greenland’s glaciers and wildlife with five calls in the country and visits to Iceland, North Cape and Scotland.
ROYAL Caribbean has launched TWO NEW charters from Belfast City Airport for its summer 2023 cruise season. The charters will fly cruisers to Barcelona and Bologna
(Ravenna) direct from Belfast City Airport to meet up with two of the cruise lines popular ships – Oasis of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.
CELESTYAL JOURNEY DEPARTS ON
MAIDEN AEGEAN VOYAGE: The new North Star of the Celestyal fleet, Celestyal Journey, set sail on her maiden voyage around the Aegean last month, cruising in the specialist hands of Celestyal’s highly experienced captain.
Belfast Cruise Terminal Celebrates Major Cruise Milestone
for the summer 2024 season is down to the “phenomenal success” of recent charters, including its 2022 and 2023 charter to Bologna (Ravenna). Oasis of the Seas will depart Barcelona while Explorer of the Seas will depart Bologna (Ravenna).
Virgin Voyages To Implement 19 New Ports and 27 New Itineraries in 2025
BELFAST has celebrated a new cruise record after clocking up a record 1,250 cruise ship calls to the city since the first super vessel arrived in 1996. Now regarded as one of the UK and Ireland’s most vibrant and exciting
city excursions for cruise visitors and spearheaded by Cruise Belfast, a partnership between Visit Belfast and Belfast Harbour, the city is also celebrating a record year for cruise ship calls this year, with 170 vessel visits bringing 250,000 tourists and generating around £20m for the local economy.
VIRGIN Voyages is introducing 19 new ports and 27 epic new itineraries available through April 2025. Spanning all corners of the globe, the new offerings feature a return to the UK following strong Sailor and First Mate demand, incredible new ports of call in Australia and new seaside gems in the Caribbean. “Our loyal sailors have been asking for more places to visit
with us, so we’re delivering in a big way. New ports, new itineraries and more local and immersive experiences to create unforgettable getaways,” said Michelle Bentubo, SVP Service Excellence and Travel Operations. “From Morocco to Mooloolaba, Amsterdam to Bordeaux, Catania to Port Douglas, we now offer more than 120 incredible places you can explore aboard our award-winning ships you know and love. After all, it’s not just about where you go; it’s about who you go with and make a holiday one to remember.” With this new announcement, Virgin Voyages’ fleet will
New Ports for MSC Cruises as Middle East Winter 23/24
Schedule Announced
offer a total of 63 itineraries to some of the world’s most inspiring locales. Among the new options are what the brand is calling its “Seachange Series.” These reimagined repositioning voyages offer more opportunities for travelers to extend their holidays and explore the world at large.
MSC Cruises will add new ports of call for two of its three sailing itineraries in the Middle East during the winter 2023- 24 season. MSC Virtuosa will sail 17 new 7-night voyages in the Arabian Gulf from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Doha in Qatar, the new port call of Manama in Bahrain, both Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island in the UAE and back to Dubai. MSC Opera returns to the region after a successful 2022-23 season with
22 separate 7-night sailings in 2023- 24 from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, either Khasab in Oman or Fujairah in the UAE, the Omani capital Muscat and back to Dubai. MSC Orchestra will operate a new
itinerary during the winter 2023-24 season from Safaga in Egypt with 20 7-night sailings to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Aqaba for Petra in Jordan, a new port of call at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Sokhna Port for Cairo in Egypt and back to Safaga for Luxor.
September/October 2023
Cruise Croatia Announces New Montenegro and Croatia Luxury Small-Ship Sailing
CRUISE Croatia has launched a new seven-night ‘Croatia & Montenegro Deluxe Balcony Cruise’ for 2024. The specialist, luxury, small-ship cruise operator will offer three
departures dates, sailing on the 38-guest MS Markan, between June and September. The itinerary, on sale now, cruises roundtrip from Split, taking in the Dalmatian coast and Montenegro. Guests will visit established favourites including Dubrovnik, Kotor, Trogir and Hvar, alongside lesser-known destinations such as Korcula and Ston. The 2018-built MS Markan is one of the most sought-after ships in Croatia. It includes an upper deck, featuring cabins with their own private balconies. The 170ft vessel also has an expansive sundeck with on board jacuzzi and swimming platform. All itineraries include luxury transfers, breakfast, three-course lunches and select dinners. The programme includes guided food, wine and cultural tours, daily swim stops, complimentary water sports, a professional Cruise Director and on-board lectures.
Royal Caribbean says the decision to offer the two charters
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