reviews


Spectrum of the Seas Royal Caribbean International


OVERVIEW: Spectrum of the Seas is Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship and its first in the Quantum Ultra Class. Homeporting in Shanghai, the 4,246-passenger vessel has been custom-built for the Chinese market and will sail itineraries around Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Russia and the Philippines.


FOOD: New dining options include Sichuan Red, which serves up Chinese cuisine; Teppanyaki; and traditional tea room Leaf and Bean. The Windjammer Marketplace is a fifth larger than on Quantum-class ships.


FACILITIES: New shows The Effectors, Showgirls! and The Silk Road are spellbinding, while a slew of onboard activities – including rock-climbing, laser tag, bumper cars, the Sky Pad (VR trampolining) and skydiving simulator Ripcord by iFly – keep all ages occupied.


USP: The Suite Club is the line’s first private enclave for suite guests. The area encompasses 36 Golden Suites and 106 Silver Suites, as well as two restaurants and lounges, a solarium, boutique and large balcony. It also plays host to the line’s largest Ultimate Family Suite – a two-level cabin accommodating 11 guests and featuring a slide, cinema room and balcony with whirlpool bath.


BOOK IT: Agents can book via online platform AirWaves, where cruises can be packaged with flights and pre or post-cruise stays. A seven-night Best of Japan itinerary round-trip from Shanghai starts at £667 per person. royalcaribbean.co.uk


Reviewed by Erica Bush


VERDICT: Twenty-six seats make this small and intimate, and the astronomer was excellent – he was a Nasa astronaut who’d flown on three space missions. This is fascinating for anyone wanting to learn what’s above the ship as they sail beneath the night skies of Norway or beyond, aurora borealis dancing overhead.


BOOK IT: Viking Jupiter’s 18-day South American & the Chilean Fjords itinerary starts at £7,190, including flights, departing on January 7. Planetarium shows are free and can be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. vikingcruises.co.uk


Reviewed by Laura French 42 September 2019 travelweekly.co.uk/cruise


Explorer’s Dome Viking Jupiter, Viking Cruises


OVERVIEW: Viking Cruises’ latest ship Viking Jupiter (launched in February) features eight restaurants, a panoramic Explorers’ Lounge, pool, cinema and spa, plus a Viking-esque focus on art (with several Edvard Munch paintings on the walls). But the jewel in its crown is the Explorer’s Dome, a high-definition planetarium designed to bring the night skies to the ship.


USP: This is the line’s second planetarium – the first is on Viking Orion – and it’s only the third of its kind in the world (Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 has a smaller one).


THE EXPERIENCE: You lie on your back beneath a domed display, as an astronomer guides you through one of several immersive films – from the northern lights to the possibility of humans living on Mars. The visuals were impressive – I felt as if I was whirling through space as the stars warped above my head – and it was even more realistic when I popped on some 3D glasses.


PICTURES: MICHEL VERDURE; ERIC LAIGNEL

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