The Cruise Web Blog - your source for the latest cruise news and travel advice.

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Today, Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced the anticipated arrival of their newest luxury ship for 2023. As of yet unnamed, the new ship will be a sister to Seven Seas Explorer, and the third all-suite, Explorer-class ship in Regent’s luxury fleet. The new ship will hold 750 passengers at full capacity and will have itineraries available in early 2021.

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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

In 2022 and 2025, Oceania Cruises will be rolling out their newest class of ship: Allura. Weighing in at nearly 70,000 tons, these ships are set to carry 1,200 guests.

The ships are being built by Fincantieri S.p.A., which will strive to incorporate the well-known, award-winning design and amenities that are hallmarks of Oceania Cruises’ ships. Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd—the parent company operating Oceania Cruises—believes the new ships will please loyal Oceania passengers and open the door for more to experience the luxury. Del Rio stated, “This new class of ships will further elevate the already best-in-class guest experience at Oceania Cruises and meaningfully strengthen demand from both new and loyal returning guests, which will ultimately drive further returns for shareholders.”

For more information on the new Allura-class ships and Oceania Cruises, please call 1-800-377-9383 to speak with one of our expert consultants today!

The Cruise Web, Inc.
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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

In late November, members of the team here at The Cruise Web were fortunate enough to get up close and personal with Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Edge. After experiencing as much of Celebrity Edge as possible on an exclusive two-night inaugural celebration, these are their highlights, stories and first impressions:

Randi B.
There is a ton of natural light throughout the ship, because the vast majority of the windows are floor-to-ceiling, which makes the spaces feel more open and inviting. Venues like the Oceanview Café, the Solarium, and Eden are some of the best places to be because of those windows.

The Theater is extremely technologically impressive. The giant wrap-around screen has moving panels that make for interesting artist entrances during the shows. I love that they have various types of acrobatic rigging, as well as trapdoors, elevating platforms, and rain curtains, which all lead to a visually-entrancing performance.

As far as dining goes, the ship goes above and beyond with options and choices. There are a very large amount of choices for those with alternative diets—vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, Kosher, etc. The “Taste of the Edge” event, where each of the many restaurants on board had samples and small bites available, was fun, as it enabled people to try food from around the ship without having to make a reservation for the various specialty restaurants.

Celebrity Edge’s main pool is actually long enough to do laps in, which is refreshing since the vast majority of pools on other ships are very small, and it’s nearly impossible to really swim in them. I think having the “martini glass” hot tubs is actually a great idea—it makes the Resort Deck less crowded, and also acts as a built-in form of crowd control. Since you technically have to ascend two decks to get between the pool and the hot tubs, you’re not going to have people constantly running back and forth between the two. I also love the abundance of loungers all around the ship—it will definitely make it easier to find a spot to soak up the sun. The Solarium also has a large amount of plush loungers, and it is very easy to get comfortable here!

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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Debuting in 2020, Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, Mardi Gras, will feature the first roller coaster at sea, BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster. Working with German-based Maurer Rides, the new coaster is over 800 feet long and reaches speeds over 40 miles per hour.

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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth is getting a makeover, and so can you, at the new Mareel Wellness & Beauty spa aboard Cunard! In conjunction with Canyon Ranch, an innovator in the wellness industry, Cunard has announced their new spa that will be on board each ship in their fleet by 2020.

The name Mareel is derived from ancient Nordic languages and means phosphorescence of the ocean. In Nordic language, it “speaks to the illuminating light and healing energy of the sea.” Onboard, this translates into refreshing and relaxing all-natural spa treatments using ingredients from the sea.

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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Carnival Cruise Lines recently announced the construction of an all new ship in their XL-class. Paying homage to the first Carnival ship launched in 1972, the new shipped has been named Mardi Gras, and she’s set to debut in 2020.

According to Carnival, the name is so much more than a shout out to their beginnings, “… in cruising circles this name suggests innovation, and signals the start of something big. And it shouts ‘FUN!’ at the top of its lungs.” And if you know anything about Carnival, “fun” is their middle name.

This new ship is built on the concept of innovation. Mardi Gras will be “the greenest cruise ship in North America,” powered by a clean-burning engine fueled by liquid natural gas, or LNG. But the innovations don’t stop there. Most Carnival ships feature similar layouts and amenities, but the Mardi Gras is being re-designed from square one, giving it a custom look and layout that is sure to shake up the industry.

For more information on Carnival and the upcoming Mardi Gras, call The Cruise Web today at 1-800-377-9383 to speak with one of our expert consultants.

The Cruise Web, Inc.
reply@cruiseweb.com
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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Starting summer 2020, Carnival Cruise Line is heading back to Europe with Carnival Legend! Itineraries will range from 9 to 16 days, visiting over 30 ports in nearly 15 countries. Carnival Legend’s European summer will begin in New York, with a transatlantic itinerary departing for London on June 3, 2020. Once in Europe, her projected itineraries include:

• 9-day Norwegian Fjords round-trip from London, June 19 – 28, 2020.
• 9-day Western Europe from London to Barcelona, June 28 – July 7, 2020
• 9- to 12-day Mediterranean sailings between Venice and Barcelona, July – October 2020.
• 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to Tampa, October 30 – November 15, 2020.

Once she returns to the United States in November 2020, Carnival Legend will offer week-long trips to the Caribbean and 8-day partial transits of the Panama Canal.

For more information on Carnival Legend, her scheduled 2020 itineraries, and Carnival Cruise Line, please contact one of our expert cruise consultants at 1-800-377-9383.

The Cruise Web, Inc.
reply@cruiseweb.com
1-800-377-9383

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest construction, Norwegian Encore, had her keel laid on November 28, 2018. The ship, constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, will debut in 2019 as the newest ship in Norwegian’s Breakaway Plus class.

Once the keel had been laid, Norwegian Cruise Line announced details on the ship’s entertainment and recreation in a unique way. Four performers from the Broadway musical, Kinky Boots, gave a surprise presentation of one of the musical’s iconic songs, “Land of Lola.”

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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

In less than three months, MSC Cruises will officially name their new ship, dubbing her MSC Bellissima. Staying close to home, MSC Bellissima will call the Mediterranean home until the Winter 2019 season, when she will make her way to the Emirates, and then further east to China in 2020.

As MSC Cruises tries to stay atop the cruise industry as far as technology goes, they will introduce a new feature aboard MSC Bellissima, Zoe. Zoe is a “digital cruise assistant” which will be available to all guests on board. The main functionality of this innovation is to allow passengers to have any and all questions about their trip answered in the comfort of their stateroom.

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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

On November 26, 2018, MSC Cruises made the first cut of steel for their newest build, MSC Seashore. This will be the first ship in the MSC Seaside EVO-class. This will be a new subsection of the Seaside-class, featuring 200 additional cabins, more dining options, and a larger area for members of the MSC Yacht Club.

However, the pride of this ship for MSC Cruises is the advanced technology that minimizes the environmental impact of the ship. MSC Cruises notes a variety of environmentally-friendly modifications to the ship:

• Selective catalytic reduction system
• Exhaust gas cleaning technology
• High-tech waste management and recycling systems
• Advanced water treatment systems
• Energy and heat recovery systems

These advancements, along with technology to measure efficiency, further MSC Cruises’ commitment to sustainability.

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