Category: The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

At CLIA’s annual UK Cruise Conference last week, Virgin Voyages announced that its new ship, the 2,700-berth Scarlet Lady, will visit one or maybe two UK ports on her way from her builders in Genoa to her home port of Miami next March. From elsewhere came news that river operator CroisiEurope would acquire a second seagoing vessel, by acquiring the Silver Discoverer from Silversea. And finally, the Crystal Mozart will leave the Crystal River Cruises fleet to operate for Genting Cruise Lines next year.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

This week sees news of two classes of expedition vessel, the first of three 230-berth “Hanseatic” class ships for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and the second and third of the 200-berth “Infinity” class for SunStone Ships. The Hanseatic Nature sailed from Hamburg on her maiden voyage last week and Victory Cruise Line’s announced that its Ocean Victory would trade to Alaska in 2021. The 8,000-ton Ocean Victory will be the largest “small ship” in Alaska since the 214-berth 8,282-ton Song of Flower, operated by Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and sold in 2003, and Cruise West’s 120-berth 4,280-ton Spirit of Oceanus, sold in 2010. Neatly tying in to the Ocean Victiory story is news that while Denmark’s Albatros Travel will be chartering her for use in Antartica, SunStone ships will build a sister vessel for Albatros, the Ocean Albatros, thus giving the latter two X-bowed sister ships of the “Infinity” class. In North America, meanwhile, the 202-berth sister ships Victory I and Victory 2 will introduce new itineraries next year.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Last week Voyages to Antiquity was forced to cancel ten summer cruises due to engine trouble with their sole ship, Aegean Odyssey. Working With Ponant, Culture Cruises offered to rebook affected passengers on eight cruises by the French line. Elsewhere came the announcement that Saga had sold its Saga Pearl II to owners in the British Virgin Islands. And charters on three passenger-carrying container ships to Australia and New Zealand have been extended.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Culture Cruises, who we mentioned last week, is introducing a Newsletter. Moreover, they have added some unique financial benefits: their aim is not only to source the most interesting cruises, but also to negotiate the very best prices.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Built at MV Werften in 2018, the Crystal Debussy is one of two sister ships to have entered service on European rivers last year for Crystal River Cruises, bringing their fleet to five river ships. Last Tuesday, The Cruise Examiner, was able to visit the vessel in Amsterdam. Elsewhere, Celebrity Cruises announced an order for a fifth “Edge” class ship, the last three of which will be completed to a lengthened design. And in India, Essel Group’s Jalesh Cruises has commenced service between Mumbai and Goa with the 2,000-berth Karnika, formerly P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Jewel.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

The Dominican Republic was one of the early participants in the Caribbean cruise market and today it is returning to the forefront once more. Elsewhere in the news Holland America Line announced that its next Pinnacle Class ship will be called Ryndam.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

For more than a decade now, The Cruise Examiner has been taking an interest in cruises that are different from the norm. Columnist Kevin Griffin is now pleased to announce the formation of a new organisation to deal exclusively with small ship cruising, river cruises and expedition cruising. The new company will concentrate on special interest cruises and will go by the name of Culture Cruises Limited.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Last week saw the announcement of the name SeaDream Innovation as the line’s third yacht, and first expedition yacht. Able to travel the globe, she is for delivery in 2021. Elsewhere, Dublin surprised the whole world when it announced that it was going to cut the number of cruise calls at its port in half, in favour of cargo. And finally, Viking Cruises’ Viking Sky managed to escape a more serious fate when she managed top recover power on the night of Saturday and Sunday off the west coast of Norway.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Last week saw the announcement of the name Seabourn Venture for the first Seabourn expedition ship, as well as the news that she would be built solely by Mariotti. Original joint venture building partner Damen is meanwhile proceeding on its own with an expedition ship order for another operator. From MSC Cruises came new last week of a firm order for four new luxury ships from Fincantieri. And news from Cunard of a July crossing from Liverpool to New York renews an old Cunard connection at Liverpool.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

This weekend saw the stormy christening of MSC Cruises’ new MSC Bellissima in Southampton, from where she had just departed when this column was completed. Elsewhere in the news, Saga has announced that its new Spirit of Discovery will become an all-inclusive ship earlier than thought, while Holland’s Oceanco have introduced a new expedition yacht design at the Dubai Boat Show.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Last week we wrote about world cruises on Silversea’s Silver Cloud and Silver Whisper and Oceania’s Insignia. Now we write about a fourth, leaving from Liverpool and Southampton in January 2021. Elsewhere, the Saga Sapphire will be making her last Canada cruise this year while the Scenic Eclipse will be making her first. And Alaska’s state ferries are threatened with a winter shutdown that will reduce their summer season to just three months.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

This week we look at three world cruises: the year 2021 year will see the introduction of the world’s first expedition world cruise, when Silversea’s Silver Clould sails between Antarctica and Norway in the months between February and July. At the same time Oceania’s Insignia will be back for another of her extra-long cruises in 2021 and finally, since the Rickmers Round-the-World service ended in 2011, CMA CGM has been the only service available for offering a full circumnavigation by cargo ship.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

This week look back at some of the more recent expedition ship designs, several of which have seen no orders despite the recent boom in expedition ship orders. And Friday saw the 2,770-berth Scarlet Lady launched in Italy as the third member of a new highly innovative cruise ships for the next generation. Meanwhile, the former supply ship St Helena has evidently found a new life.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Last week came news of Virgin Voyages’ planned 4- and 5-night itineraries for its first ship, the Scarlet Lady. One of the itineraries will call on a planned new terminal for Puerto Plata. In Europe, meawhile, a new €8 head tax in Amsterdam has lost the port calls from MSC Cruises and Cruise & Maritime Voyages. And Japan’s NYK, which sold Crystal Cruises to Genting Hong Kong in 2015, is to sell off half its remaining cruise holding.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

This year sees the introduction into service of Hurtigruten’s new Roald Amundsen and 2020 will see her undertake her first Northwest Passage, which has been delayed a year by her late completion. Elsewhere, Aranui Cruises is ordering a new cruise ship for the South Pacific, for 2022 delivery, and Scylla Cruises of Switzerland has annouced that it will acquire Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Bremen in 2021.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

When Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth left Southampton on January 3, she began a long series of voyages that will help lay future plans for Cunard’s fourth Queen, a 113,000-ton ship now under construction at Fincantieri. Oceania Cruises, meanwhile, has ordered two more ships not much different in size from the existing Marina and Riviera. And TUI Cruises newest ship, Mein Schiff 2, has now arrived in Germany for completion.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

With Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam going up against Celebrity Cruises’ new Celebrity Edge from the US, a member of one of the Internet’s many shipping groups has released an interesting comparison of 7-night fares for several popular cruise ships out of Florida in February. Elsewhere, Seattle cointinues to break its own records and together with Vancouver now serves more than two million cruise passengers a year. Finally, we look at a summary of new ships on order for Genting’s various cruise brands – Star, Dream and Crystal.

Posted in: News / The Cruise Examiner